Brasília, January 13, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Minister of Justice, Márcio Thomaz Bastos, said today, in an interview with Radiobrás, that he would like the Federal Police and the Army to work in conjunction to guard the borders, principally to help in the war on drug traffic.

The Minister also said that he hopes for the collaboration of countries like Colombia in surveilling frontiers where arms and drugs cross. An agreement in this sense may be decided on the trip that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will make to Ecuador, on Wednesday (15), to attend the inauguration of the new President, Lúcio Gutiérrez. (DAS)