In September of last year the news between Belize and Guatemala was that negotiations were beign reopened and that if those should fail, both countries would agree to go to international court. At the time it was announced that there would be talks between the countries at 45 day intervals. We took the announcement to mean that the negotiations were beginning but in truth they weren't.
In fact since September it has been something like a courting period. We say that because today in Washington lead negotiator for Belize Minister Assad Shoman and Guatemala's Foreign Minister Jorge Briz along with their delegations met with Secretary General of the Organization of American States to move from courting to at least first base. Today the OAS proposed that formal negotiations start. And they'll begin by looking at the maritime areas and access to the Caribbean sea. Of note is that now Honduras is now involved in the negotiations. Here are a few excerpts of a press conference held in Washington D.C. after today's meeting.
Jose Miguel Insulza, OAS Secretary General
"Today we've had an important result. That is the decision by both representatives of the countries Minister Briz and Minister Shoman to initiate negotiations with respect to the territorial differendum with the maritime topic.
Assad Shoman, Belizean Ambassador with Ministerial Rank
"We have agreed on the recommendations that he's given us after studying the case. First is to begin negotiations with respect to the maritime areas also to invite the government of Honduras to participate in these negotiations because as you know that is how the geography of the area dictates it."
Jorge Briz, Guatemalan Minister of Foreign Affairs
"We have full agreement that the negotiations begin on the maritime areas because it is an important topic and also we join in the invitation made to Honduras to take part with belie and Guatemala in these negotiations."
Assad Shoman,
"The reality is that at this moment there is no maritime delimitation between the two countries. Neither the treaty of the 19th century between Great
Britain and Guatemala nor any other document or treaty tells us what are the maritime delimitation. And like has already been mentioned this area is like a gulf and it includes the country of Honduras so this is something new that we have to study.
It is necessary to have a delimitation through mutual agreement under a treaty among the three countries and that certainly will form part of the differendum so we have to determine the territory of one country and the other and in there falls the maritime areas. But also we think that this is an area where an agreement can come quicker. First because this is a new, there are no agreements and secondly because we recognize the need that the three countries have justice, have access, have what is needed for the well being of their countries."
Jorge Briz,
"Each country will have its negotiating team their experts. The OAS, as is stated in today's communiqué, will hire experts to cooperate with the parties and assess them in what is considered convenient and there in lies that it is a complex case. Both countries under the auspices of the OAS are committed to finding agreements as has been said by Minister Shoman just and equitable for both countries."
It has been agreed that all parties involved in the negotiations are to empanel their team of negotiators by the 18th of this month. The first round of negotiations will be held in Guatemala on March 23rd and 24th.
