Brussels, 07/07/2000 (Agence Europe) - The High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana reaffirmed the EU's solidarity with the peace efforts of the Pastrana Government in Colombia, at a meeting of the "support group for the peace process in Colombia", in Madrid on Friday, under the auspices of Spain and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). "Responding to the request for assistance from the Colombian Government is not an act of pure generosity (…), it is an obligation and not only moral", he declared, recalling that the EU defended the principle of "co-responsibility" between drug producer and consumer countries.
The European Commission did not intend presenting a commitment to assistance on this occasion, its intention being first to examine the projects proposed by the Plan Colombia before deciding. Spain has announced aid of $5 million; and the World Bank, the Inter-American development Bank and the Corporation of Andean Development together $300 million. Colombia has asked for international assistance of in the order of $35 billion, in part already covered.
Given the doubts of NGOs and several countries, including in the EU (see EUROPE of 6 June, p.8) regarding the military aspects of the fight against drug trafficking contained in Plan Colombia, President Pastrana defended himself in a television appearance in Bogota, stating that it was a question of a "plan to combat drug trafficking, but especially a social plan". In Madrid, Colombian Foreign Minister Guillermo Fernandez de Soto said that international assistance and notably American would not lead to "a new Vietnam", as Colombia was committed to overcoming the adversary through negotiations and not through military might".