And yesterday, before the first explosion sounded over Ukraine but with tensions already very high, Belize's Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay appeared on Sunup to talk about the mounting crisis and the disaster, both diplomatic and economic, it would surely prove to be for small developing nations like Belize:
Hon. Eamon Courtney - Minister of Foreign Affairs
"When you have a stand off between the United States and Europe and Russia it not only affects that specific issue, whether or not Ukraine will be allowed to join NATO. It has ramifications for the positions that countries take in international arenas. So, for example we refer to COP, it was significant as to which world leader went and which didn't go, they are sending a message, Putin didn't go. When this stand off and the take positions like that and they are not talking, it has ramification for the positions they take in other intentional forums in the IMF. We have been arguing for a reform where we have access to additional financing that we have a different metric as to how you qualify, now if Europe and Russia are not talking and we need to build a consensus, it's that much more difficult to build a consensus on climate change because they are fighting over in Ukraine, it is that much more difficult to build a consensus on COVID response because they are fighting over Ukraine, etc. So the point I wanted to make is for small countries like Belize, CARICOM, Central America, the reason we have to come together in a conference like what we're going to have next week, is to try to position ourselves and to say to these bigger countries when you all are fighting, we are suffering and therefore we have to strongly advocate for multilateral ism for settling these disputes peacefully, for having negotiations however long they take because of the consequences for us, it makes it that much more difficult for us to get consensus on issues that are totally divorced but simply because of the hard line they have taken in that position, they don't want to agree on less important issues to them but more important to us, other issues like that. So, it's complex and it has ramifications."
And this morning a statement form the Government of Belize condemned Russia's quote: "unacceptable violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity."
Belize also called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of all Russian troops and military hardware from Ukraine as well as restraint from all sides.
