Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala Pay Joint Visit to the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone

The visit included a bilateral meeting, a presentation about development projects implemented in the communities along the border, and other presentations on other OAS-led border programs.

The release states that the Ministers updated each other on preparations for their respective referenda to obtain the consent of their citizens to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and that Minister Elrington and Minister Jovel reiterated their governments’ intent to resolve the Belize/Guatemala differendum at the ICJ and to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Both Ministers also expressed support for the strengthening of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone.

The Belize delegation included Jose Alpuche, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture; H.E. Mr. Alexis Rosado, Ambassador of Belize to Guatemala as well as other senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Orlando Habet, representative of the Leader of the Opposition, was also in attendance.

The OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone was established in July 2003 with the aim of fostering community to community contacts across the border, to monitor the implementation and execution of confidence building measures, to conduct verification of border incidents, and to improve relations and cooperation among inhabitants of the western border area.