The United States and Colombia have agreed to pursue a new alliance against drugs -- increasing cooperation to tackle the production, trafficking and consumption of narcotics.

The accord was signed in Washington by President Clinton and his Colombian counterpart, Andres Pastrana who is on a state visit.

Colombia will also receive some two-hundred-and-eighty million dollars in US aid.

Mr Clinton praised Mr Pastrana's efforts to bring peace to his country.

However. there's been some opposition in the US to Mr Pastrana's moves to demilitarise large areas of Colombia.

Correspondents say he's been careful to stress that drug producers will not be allowed to use such areas for their operations.