Millette said the program to hire new personnel is directed at filling a shortfall of 1,100 employees. This expanded hiring, he added, is over and above general hiring to fill vacancies created by attrition. He added that specific bilateral assistance has not been completed yet, but will be ready for the April 3 rollout. The Andean Initiative is a follow-on program to the Plan Colombia program to combat illegal drugs. Bowab also said part of the budget will include heavy fuel oil payments under the Agreed Framework to North Korea.
Funding is included in nonproliferation, antiterrorism, demining and related programs.
He said the United States provides approximately 500,000 tons of heavy fuel oil under the Agreed Framework. This site is produced and maintained by the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, Japan. Links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views contained therein.