Targeting terrorism, drugs, trade EU, Latin American leaders agree at summit to boost cooperation

Houston Chronicle ^ | May 18, 2002 | AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

MADRID, Spain -- Nearly 50 European and Latin American leaders agreed Friday to boost their cooperation fighting terrorism and drug trafficking, while saying a European Union-Chile free trade deal could be an example for the whole region.

Worried by growing instability in Latin America, EU leaders also urged their counterparts from the region to stick with democratic and economic reforms.

"There must be no return to the outdated recipes of the past," Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said, opening a two-day summit of leaders from Europe, South and Central America and the Caribbean.

Latin American leaders asked Europe to offer practical help and not dictate solutions.

"We are not here to be lectured at. We will only accept advice," said Argentine Foreign Minister Carlos Ruckhauf.

At the request of Colombian President Andres Pastrana, EU leaders agreed to consider adding the leftist guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to the EU terrorist list.

Latin America has been shaken in recent months by the collapse of the Argentine economy, political chaos in Venezuela and resurgent violence in Colombia. The summit marked the first trip abroad for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez since a failed coup against him in April.

The EU initialed a new "association agreement" with Chile, which will free up $7.7 billion worth of trade. The deal, which will be signed formally in a few months, comes two years after a similar accord with Mexico.

Despite concerns about economic progress, EU-Latin American trade has doubled over the past decade, making the region the EU's second largest trading partner. EU exports totaled $51 billion while its imports from Latin America amounted to $45.6 billion.

[Free the USA]

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