"It's a good deal for Colombia, and it's a good deal for the United States," Gates said of the free trade agreement following talks with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Defense Minister Gabriel Silva.

A proposed US-Colombia free trade agreement is currently stalled in Congress as lawmakers worry it could cost American jobs, despite President Barack Obama's assurances to the contrary. The deal was negotiated under Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush.

A renewed effort to save it would comes as Russia and China are seeking a larger commercial presence in Latin America and US arch-foe Iran is seeking to expand its influence there as well.

Gates hailed Colombia's "remarkable, indeed historic, transformation in the security arena that few would have thought possible," describing Uribe as a "hero" for making great strides in cracking down on drug traffickers and leftist guerillas.

He also vowed to "work just as closely" with whomever succeeds Uribe, who is leaving office in August after serving two terms marked by a tough stance against one of Latin America's oldest guerrilla insurgencies and tensions with neighboring Venezuela and its leftist-populist President Hugo Chavez.

Uribe also gained immense popularity for shepherding the country's economy to a strong performance.

The United States has poured six billion dollars into Colombia over the past eight years to boost counternarcotics and counterinsurgency efforts.

"We have not yet won the battle, but we will win it and you are essential allies for that victory," said Uribe, calling cooperation between Washington and Bogota an example for the world.

The two countries signed a military pact last October that allows US troops to use Colombian bases, drawing fierce criticism from many Latin American governments who saw it as an affront to Colombian sovereignty.

It was the first of two military accords inked by the Obama administration. Another one with Brazil -- calling for cooperation and joint maneuvers but not US use of Brazilian bases -- was signed on Monday in Washington.

Gates said he hoped the US-Brazil pact would help some of Colombia's neighbors gain "better understanding" of the Washington-Bogota deal, which prompted neighboring Venezuela to freeze trade with Colombia.

He stressed US efforts to bolster cooperation with three major Latin American allies -- Colombia, Peru and Mexico -- that share similar security challenges, such as drug trafficking, organized crime and armed groups.

Speaking alongside his Colombian counterpart, Gates downplayed the threat posed by Venezuela just as Uribe's government issued a travel warning urging its citizens to avoid traveling there.

Caracas has announced plans to purchase five billion dollars worth of Russian weapons.

Sources close to the Colombian Defense Ministry say the military agreement with the United States, whose details remain shrouded in secrecy, is already being implemented in practice, with increased US counternarcotics operations in the country.

The United States maintains about 200 soldiers and 220 contractors in Colombia, numbers that have shifted very little since the agreement was signed, Pentagon sources say.

According to the US Ambassador to Bogota William Brownfield, the agreements allows for intelligence gathering missions and platforms, as well as for joint maritime operations usually conducted in international waters.

Gates will wrap up his trip Friday in Barbados, where he will meet with Caribbean defense officials as part of an initiative launched by Obama last year to combat growing drug trafficking in the region.

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