And while Cal has created a stir in Guatemala City, it was business as usual in Washington on Monday and Tuesday for the Belize Negotiating Team. After getting through the Cal hiccup - a Belize delegation that was in Washington D.C. at the request of facilitators returned home today. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chief Negotiator Assad Shoman, Ambassadors Fred Martinez and Eamon Courtenay arrived in Belize after informal consultations on the progress of the facilitation process were conducted with facilitators. Ambassador Eamon Courtenay today told us what was discussed:
Ambassador Eamon Courtenay
We were there Monday and Tuesday consulting with our facilitator on the latest position that they are considering.
Jules Vasquez
So, would you be able to say what that latest position is?
Ambassador Eamon Courtenay
No, I am not able because there are still draft proposals first of all, and the reason why we were there was to get our reaction to the differing views, differing positions, differing proposals so that they now know where Guatemala stands with respect to some of the proposals, they know where Belize stands with relation to the proposal they are putting forward, so we do not have any type of final document at this stage which I could say, this is what the proposals would look like.
Jules Vasquez
The facilitation process has 24 more days of its mandate. Will they have the final recommendations ready by then?
Ambassador Eamon Courtenay
We remain very hopeful that that will be achieved. In fact, our Prime Minister made it very clear to our facilitator that the Prime Minister's deadline of August 31st remains. But we are hopeful that the proposals will be made before then.
Jules Vasquez
Is there any clue at this time as to what will be contained in there as per our stated mission in this which is to appease, in some way,... without making any concessions of our territorial integrity?
Ambassador Eamon Courtenay
Jules, I think we can be comforted in the assurance that, certainly, there will be no violation of our territorial integrity, our sovereignty will be preserved. The facilitators are well aware that Belize's position has been that territorial integrity and sovereignty are paramount. That has not changed and I don't believe that that is going to change. So that starting from those fundamentals, some creative proposals have to come forward. The facilitators are working feverishly, they are being very creative and I think it would be wrong for me to try to speculate as to where they will end up finally. But, the bottom line is that those fundamental proposals, fundamental positions of Belize are not negotiable.
Jules Vasquez
And so, reflecting on your thoughts on this brief meeting, would you characterize it as a success.
Ambassador Eamon Courtenay
Well, I think we certainly had a chance to have very long meetings with our facilitator, discussing the varying proposals and I think we were able to make it very clear to him where Belize was on these proposals, what we could consider, what we were not prepared to consider. So from that stand-point I think it was indeed a successful meeting with him and we are hopeful that we will make the deadline, or they will make the deadline.
Guatemala was represented by Minister Gabriel Orellana, Ambassadors Contreras, Orellana, Rivera and Duarte.