Musa meets w/U.S. President Bush in El Salvador

Over the weekend, a Belizean delegation headed by Prime Minister Said Musa met with U.S. President George Bush and other leaders in El Salvador to discuss several issues facing the region. According to a government press release, the P.M. addressed the issue of security in the Central American and highlighted the impact deportees pose to the countries. The Central American leaders have suggested the formation of a special deportation fund, to be financed by seized assets, to aid in the reduction of criminal activity. In his address to the assembly, P.M. Musa called on the United States to recognise the connection between security and economic stability. Belize also asked the Bush administration to support the region’s agricultural industries and assist in the control of arms and drug trafficking. As for national issues, Musa spoke to President Bush about the ongoing territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala, and petitioned the U.S. to donate money to a development fund that will be used to benefit the residents of the communities living in the border area. Prime Minister Musa was joined in El Salvador by Minister of Foreign Affairs Assad Shoman. The delegation returned to Belize this morning.