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OAS Secretary General Concludes Visit to Costa Rica and Nicaragua and will Present Tomorrow a Report to the Permanent Council

  November 8, 2010

The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, will present tomorrow, Tuesday, to the Organization's Permanent Council, a report on his visit to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. The purpose of the Secretary General's trip was to meet with the two countries' governments to promote a path towards dialogue and détente that would allow them to address the problems that have arisen in the border zone.

"Our job is not to make decisions about the differences, but to facilitate things to renew the bilateral dialogue that would lead to a solution of the problem between the two countries," Secretary General Insulza said.

At the end of a journey that took him to San José and Managua, where in three days he met at various times with Presidents Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, the head of the hemispheric organization said he "hoped this will end tomorrow during the Permanent Council," referring to a session set for 15:00 EST (20:00 GMT). He also indicated that by then he hopes to have "more concrete information" to present on the attitude the two countries' governments will adopt with respect to the border differences risen between them in recent days.

The head of the OAS said he wished this would soon be overcome so the two nations may open their doors to "constructive solutions of collaboration on issues such as development, the preservation of their natural heritage and the fight against drug trafficking, and that they may enter a normal bilateral agenda."

Secretary General Insulza returns to Washington tonight.

For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.

Reference: E-422/10