US PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH AND COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT ALVARO URIBE ON WEDNESDAY PLEDGED TO WORK OUT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES TO ESTABLISH A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT, ACCORDING TO DPA. US AND COLOMBIAN OFFICIALS BELIEVED THEY HAD COMPLETED NEGOTIATIONS IN FEBRUARY, BUT HAVE FAILED TO AGREE ON THE FINAL DETAILS. "WE'VE NEGOTIATED A FREE TRADE AGREEMENT. WE'VE STILL GOT SOME DETAILS TO WORK OUT, BUT WE'VE COMMITTED OURSELVES TO WORKING OUT THOSE DETAILS AND TRY TO GET THIS DONE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN," BUSH SAID AT THEIR WHITE HOUSE MEETING. COLOMBIA IS A CLOSE US ALLY AND ONE OF THE LARGEST RECIPIENTS OF US FOREIGN AID, WHICH MAINLY GOES TOWARD FIGHTING DRUG-TRAFFICKING AND LEFTIST REBELS AFFILIATED WITH THE DRUG TRADE. THE UNITED STATES CONSIDERS THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA (FARC), WHICH HAS WAGED A DECADES LONG CIVIL WAR, A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. "ONE CHALLENGE IS THAT COLOMBIA CAN OVERCOME THIS LONG NIGHTMARE OF TERRORISM," SAID URIBE, SPEAKING IN ENGLISH. "I UNDERSTAND THE MANDATE MY FELLOW COUNTRY CITIZENS HAVE GIVEN ME TO WORK HARDER AND WITH BETTER RESULTS FOR MY COUNTRY TO GET PEACE. AND THE UNITED STATES' COOPERATION IS NECESSARY." URIBE'S WHITE HOUSE VISIT WAS HIS FIRST SINCE BEING RE-ELECTED IN LATE MAY.
