E-046/00
March 8, 2000

 

OAS SECRETARY GENERAL TO FACILITATE RE-START OF COSTA RICA-NICARAGUA DIALOGUE

 

Costa Rican Foreign Minister Roberto Rojas and Nicaraguan Foreign Minister Eduardo Montealegre agreed at the Organization of American States (OAS) today to re-open bilateral talks to resolve their differences. They also accepted a proposal that OAS Secretary General Cesar Gaviria facilitate that process.

The announcement was made when the OAS Permanent Council meeting chaired by Belize Ambassador James Murphy re-convened. Secretary General César Gaviria welcomed the announcement, declaring: "We hope to now begin working on an agenda to re-start a dialogue we all hope will yield results by resolving this situation." Mr. Gaviria referred to suggestions from several member state delegations urging both countries to re-open dialogue towards a friendly solution of their differences.

The Costa Rican Foreign Minister had earlier sought recourse under inter-American arrangements for peaceful settlement of disputes, to end what was termed "the disturbing situation with Nicaragua" which arose in July 1998 over the scope of Costa Rica's navigational rights on the San Juan River.

Explaining the scope of the treaty giving Costa Rica limited access to the river, Nicaragua's Foreign Minister explained that his country was exercising "without any discussion whatsoever, full sovereignty, control and jurisdiction over the entire course of the San Juan River." He stressed that Nicaragua had always respected Costa Rican rights, which were restricted to free navigation on the river only for the transportation of commercial goods.

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