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Cablegate: Peru's President Toledo Visits Colombia

Published: Thu 22 Apr 2004 10:17 PM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BOGOTA 004128
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL ECON PTER SNAR CO PE
SUBJECT: PERU'S PRESIDENT TOLEDO VISITS COLOMBIA
1. Summary: Border security and economic cooperation topped
the agenda when Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo made a
two-day visit to Colombia April 15-17. Toledo signed a
35-point Joint Declaration with President Alvaro Uribe. The
Declaration called for: cooperation and coordination between
GOC and GOP teams in FTA negotiations with the U.S.;
increased bilateral trade; and enhanced exchange of
information and military cooperation along the border to
combat narco-terrorism and arms trafficking. The Declaration
expressed Peru's support for Uribe's Democratic Security
Policy, and reiterated Colombia's support for Peru's
candidacy for the UN Security Council. End summary.
2. President Alejandro Toledo made the first Peruvian state
visit to Colombia in a decade. The outcome was a 35 point
Joint Declaration (emailed to WHA/AND) that reaffirmed Peru's
support of President Uribe's Democratic Security Policy;
reiterated Colombia's support for Peru's candidacy as a
non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2006-2007;
and emphasized commerce, security, and development of the
border area.
International Financial Institutions Relations
--------------------------------------------- -
3. The Presidents agreed to call on the IMF to give more
attention to regional concerns regarding public investment.
They stressed the distinction between public investment and
current expenditures, and requested that these should be
treated differently, in accordance with the statement adopted
by the March meeting of the Governors of the Inter-American
Bank, in support of economic growth and social development.
Teams Will Cooperate in Negotiating FTA with U.S.
--------------------------------------------- ----
4. The Joint Declaration calls for cooperation between the
two countries in negotiating FTAs with the U.S. The GOC
MFA's Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean
subsequently explained this to mean information sharing.
Border Security, Combating the Traffic in Drugs and Arms
--------------------------------------------- -----------
5. The countries will continue to share information
regarding the traffic of arms and drugs across their border.
The Presidents underscored the importance of the tripartite
defense agreement between Brazil, Peru, and Colombia to
combat crime along their riverine borders. A joint
Peru-Colombia commission on drugs will meet May 12-13 in
Bogota to evaluate and develop joint methods to combat the
traffic in drugs and chemical precursors. The two countries
will share information on alternative development and the
GOC's program of civilian rangers to protect forests from
illicit cultivation.
An Amicable Visit
-----------------
6. The GOC's coordinator for the visit noted that Toledo's
formal statement of support for Uribe's Democratic Security
Policy set the tone for an amicable visit. The Joint
Declaration made no mention of recent media reports that the
FARC is buying armaments from Peruvian Army arsenals.
Extradition between the two countries was not included in the
Declaration, but an informal agreement was reached to update
and implement existing extradition agreements.
WOOD
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