Pastrana and Chavez in talks

The Colombian president, Andres Pastrana, is meeting his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez, in an attempt to resolve a dispute over the extradition of a Colombian suspected hijacker.

The two presidents have been in private talks since Friday.

The suspect, Jose Maria Ballestas, is alleged to be a member of the Colombian guerrilla movement, the National Liberation Army.

He is being held in custody and Venezuela has so far refused to hand him over. The refusal has led to allegations that Venezuela is secretly supporting Colombia's left-wing rebels, claims Venezuela denies.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service