Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belize and Guatemala Agree on Next Steps in Negotiation Process

March 30, 2013

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belize and Guatemala, Wilfred Elrington and Luis Fernando Carrera, met on March 30 with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), José Miguel Insulza, to analyze the situation of the process to submit their dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Both Ministers agreed on the firm will of their countries in maintaining the Special Agreement to submit the Guatemalan claim to the ICJ and, in that sense, they agreed that the Deputy Ministers should meet, within the framework of the High-level Working Group, and as soon as possible, to reinforce the confidence-building measures guiding this process.

The Ministers also agreed that once progress is made in the process, they will meet again to set the date for the holding of the referenda.

Both Ministers expressed their appreciation to the OAS and to the Secretary General for their constructive participation in this process, as well as to the international community for its support throughout the years, stressing their hope that they will continue to receive that fundamental support to maintain peace and stability between the two countries.

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