Peru's government has reaffirmed its pledge to meet coca eradication target set at 30,000 hectares by allocating US$ 300 million for boosting ongoing efforts to tackle drug trafficking, Peruvian Prime Minister, Rene Cornejo, said on Thursday.
At the signing ceremony of a financing agreement with the European Union (EU), Cornejo stressed the Ollanta Humala's administration works with a war-on-drugs strategy implemented 'under a comprehensive, balanced and sustainable approach'.
The said agreement is part of the Support Programme to Peru's 2012-2016 National Anti-Drug Strategy through which the EU commits to provide technical and financial back up of up to 124 million soles (32.2 million euros) over a four and a half year period.
Likewise, the country's Prime Minister stressed the importance of the contribution from nations making up the European bloc to set up an assistance program to the abovementioned strategy.
"The aid program aims to achieve a longer-term sustainable reduction in illegal drug production, trafficking and its use in the country as well as promoting alternative development," Cornejo said following the ceremony held at the Government Palace in Lima.
IN 2013, Peru's administration reached its target of eradicating 23,600 acres of coca with a US$ 278 million .
(END) SMA/CCR/LOG
Published: 3/6/2014