Peru, U.S. to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala on Wednesday vowed to strengthen cooperation against drug trafficking with the United States. Humala said he discussed this issue with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama during the APEC leaders' meeting in Hawaii last week. Peru is ready for a visit by American specialists whio will work in Peru to improve bilateral cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, he said. Humala said the new anti-drug trafficking program devised by his government aims to develop the impoverished communities which depend on the production of coca plants. The new scheme places a big value on "developing the extremely poor zones" troubled by such illegal economies as drug trafficking, Humala said, adding that his country also reached some cooperation agreements with other APEC members during the Hawaii gathering.