U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Office of the Spokesman (Santiago, Chile) For immediate release August 17, 2000 Press Availability with Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright And Foreign Minister Soledad Alvear Foreign Ministry Santiago, Chile August 17, 2000 QUESTION: This is a question for the Foreign Minister. Will you be supporting Plan Colombia and if so could you describe what that support will be? FOREIGN MINISTER ALVEAR: (in Spanish) We have manifested to President Pastrana that the peace plan he is proposing is an initiative that certainly deserves the support of all countries. We have espoused that same initiative to all the 19 countries that make up the Rio Group, whose heads of state recently gathered in Cartagena. We also participated in a special mission this past July in Madrid in which the contents of Plan Colombia were evaluated, and all the countries, especially Chile, yearn for peace in Colombia. QUESTION: For the Foreign Minister, following up with your answer on the Plan Colombia, could you be a little bit more explicit about to what extent you are willing to support the plan itself and could you give us an assessment of how likely you think this approach to the Plan Colombia is likely to be? FOREIGN MINISTER ALVEAR: (in Spanish) I would like to reiterate that our country is committed to peace, and that our democratic President is pushing ahead on a difficult path towards peace. In pursuit of this goal, he has counted on the collaboration of the rest of the countries that make up the Rio Group, of which Chile is a member. Additionally, we participated in a meeting that was organized in Spain for the purpose of familiarizing ourselves with the effects of Plan Colombia, and we are inclined to cooperate within the scope of that plan. SECRETARY ALBRIGHT: Can I add to this also, because it seems to be a recurring question as to how the countries that I'm visiting are supporting Plan Colombia. For your information, Foreign Minister Lampreia wrote a letter to the New York Times making clear that the answer that was attributed to him was incorrect and that Brazil supports Plan Colombia. Yesterday you heard from the Foreign Minister of Argentina that Argentina supports Plan Colombia and today you just heard from the Foreign Minister of Chile, that Chile supports Plan Colombia. I think the important point here is that the United States is supporting Plan Colombia to the tune of $1.3 billion. Other donors that met in Madrid pledged another $621 million for Plan Colombia, and it is important to understand Plan Colombia as a comprehensive plan that works, that is looking for funds for alternative development, good governance, anti-corruption, human rights and humanitarian programs and obviously against narcotrafficking. But I think what I find most heartening is that the countries where I have been, by the way, have not asked for funding for Plan Colombia but have basically talked about the importance of helping President Pastrana to deal with this very serious problems. It will not only be good for the people of Colombia but for the people of the wider region and that is something that has met total agreement with those with whom I have been speaking. (###)
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