MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Peru/Colombia confirm closer links

Peru and Colombia Foreign Affairs ministers reiterated in Lima their commitment to increase trade ties with Central America and helping Colombia become a full member of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum, APEC.

"We're looking closely to taking advantage of our close links with Central America as a bridge to the Pacific basin", admitted Colombian minister Maria Consuelo Araujo.

During her visit to Lima Ms Araujo met with her counterpart Jose Antonio Garcia Belaunde and held a short interview with President Alan García.

Colombia is a member of the nine-nation infrastructure development project known as the Puebla-Panama Plan which includes southern Mexico and the countries of Central America, and as such "enjoys privileged access to the region", Garcia Belaunde said.

The Peruvian minister also admitted that "Peru could eventually join Colombia in talks with Central America for a free trade pact".

Colombia on the other hand is anxious in incorporating to APEC by 2008, when the forum's moratorium on accepting new members is up. Peruvian minister Garcia Belaunde said Lima was interested in making Colombia the fourth Latinamerican member of APEC when the forum holds its summit in Peru in 2008.

Latinamerican current APEC members are Peru, Mexico and Chile.

Regarding drugs, an issue at the top of the bilateral agenda, Araujo said that both countries will strongly support greater cooperation in the war against narcotics.

According to the United States DEA, Colombia is the world's leading exporter of cocaine, while Peru is also a leading producer of coca leaf, the raw material for the drug.