The University of Belize's annual Independence Symposium was held today, as a part of the September Celebrations. The theme "Belize Foreign Policy at 44 and Beyond: Priorities, Challenges, and Opportunities in a Changing World" featured the Foreign Minister as the keynote speaker. Following his speech was the panel segment, where he answered questions from the moderator as well as from the audience.
He explained that his main takeaway was Belizeans' views on the conflicts on the Sarstoon.
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
"It's something the National Celebrations Commission partnered with UB I think four years ago. We really wanted to have our national university play a more meaningful role in our national celebrations and we thought it was important for our academics to participate in a meaningful discussion about the state of our nation so every year they have been doing it, talking about where we are as a country, tackling very important challenges so this year, they invited me in my capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs because they wanted to have a discussion about Belize's foreign policy and the challenges that lie ahead."
"I think the big take away is that I think the Belizean people have a very good understanding of the dynamics that exist between Belize and Guatemala. They appreciate that it's a complex issue and that while we are pursuing legal peaceful resolution of this matter that we continue to deal with very delicate challenges on the ground."
