Americas' summit tackles drugs

Brazil wants security assurances over Colombian drugs

Defence ministers from across the Americas are at a biennial summit in Brazil aimed at bringing about better co-operation particularly in relation to drugs in the region.

Some 25 ministers, including the US Defence Secretary William Cohen are to attend meetings which have been spread over three days.

President Clinton pledged financial support to President Pastrana

Mr Cohen, who is pre-occupied with the apparent bombing attack against a US warship in Yemen and the crisis in the Middle East, will only spend a day at the summit in the north Brazilian city of Manaus, returning to Washington on Tuesday night.

But defence officials said he was expecting to tackle a number of regional security issues, including drug production and trafficking in Colombia

US backing

Bogota's Plan Colombia anti-drugs initiative, which has massive US financial backing, is not formally on the agenda but neighbouring countries concerns are likely to be aired.

Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Panama have fears that a security clampdown on drugs will mean leftists guerrillas and drug traffickers moving across the border in to their countries.

William Cohen is making a brief appearance

Brazil has already begun stepping up security along its frontier with Colombia.

Colombian President Andres Pastrana is putting $7.5bn into bringing an end to civil war and the drug trafficking that in part finances it.

The United States has already pledged 1.3bn to the fight against drugs in Colombia.