A press release delivered to Prensa Latina by the Deputy Communication Ministry stated that the event will take place on February 21 and Government Minister Eduardo del Castillo will give the keynote speech.

The presentation of this alliance against organized crime will be one of the high points of a week that will begin on Tuesday at the same venue with the start of the 3rd Annual Meeting of Latin America and the Caribbean-European Union (EU) Cooperation on Drug Policy (Copolad).

The forum will be held in this city on February 21 and 22, official sources assured.

The government ministry pointed out that the forum will address issues related to anti-drug policy in the areas of public health, security and the fight against drug trafficking.

Some 175 delegates from 42 national anti-drug agencies from the same number of countries will seek to strengthen international cooperation in the light of global growth in the supply and demand of this scourge, it was reported.

Bolivia and the European bloc will co-chair the working sessions, which will also address issues such as dealing with the vulnerabilities of certain groups or improving access to quality care services and social inclusion.

On Thursday, the 24th Meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)-EU on this matter will take place, and later at the Casa Grande del Pueblo (government headquarters), an agreement will be signed between Spain and Bolivia on security issues and the fight against crime.

Amidt the preparations, Borja Díaz, director of the Copolad Program, arrived in Bolivia last Saturday.

“We have had an excellent reception, these days we will be exchanging (experiences in the fight against drug trafficking) from the technical point of view,” said the expert.

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