WASHINGTON, April 12 (AFP) - Visiting Colombian President Andres Pastrana secured a tentative congressional pledge Wednesday that a massive US economic and military aid package for his country would be approved in June at the latest.
"We are going to get at the earliest possible date, hopefully late May or early June," said Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott after meeting with Pastrana.
However, Lott made it clear that it remained to be determined how the Senate will tackle the issue of providing Colombia, Peru and Bolivia with 1.6 billion dollars in aid to curb drug trafficking in the region. The lion's share of the aid -- 1.3 billion dollars -- is earmarked for Colombia.
"We have to see how it would be done," Lott said.
The House of Representatives last month approved a bill that includes the Colombian aid package, but the measure remains stalled in the Senate due to unrelated expenditures attached to it.
"In a legislative process, you cannot get any absolute guarantee," Lott said. "But I feel very strongly that it will be completed in May or early June."
The aid package is part of a 13-billion-dollar supplementary appropriations bill that contains items opposed by the White House.
While favoring aid to Colombia and its neighbors, Lott believes the overall bill cannot be approved in its current form.
However, Pastrana emerged from the meeting reassured about the future of the aid plan.
"They need to determine mechanisms and procedures," the Colombian president said. "However, we are certain that by the end of May we will have the endorsement of Plan Colombia."
The plan, which has emerged as the hallmark of the Pastrana presidency, is based on three pillars: an uncompromising anti-drug campaign, dialogue with rebels and economic development.
Implementation of Plan Colombia is expected to cost about 7.5 billion dollars, of which Colombia will provide four billion.
Pastrana hopes the rest will come from the international community, including the 1.3 billion dollars from the United States.
About 80 percent of the US aid package is to be spent on training and equipping two new anti-drug battalions -- in addition to the one equipped and trained last year.
The measure also contains aid to police as well as 63 modern Black Hawk and Huey helicopters.
Congressional opponents of the package, including many Democrats, warn that new US aid may result in new human rights abuses in Colombia and in a deeper US involvement in Colombia's internal conflict.
Pastrana has also received words of encouragement from White House drug policy "czar" Barry McCaffrey and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.
On Tuesday, he also held talks at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which reassured him that Colombia will be able to achieve economic growth this year, if it follows strict fiscal and credit policies.
Colombia's gross domestic product contracted an estimated five percent last year, but the IMF believes it can grow three percent this year and five percent in 2001.