Foreign Ministry issues yearbook

It’s not going to change the world, but it just might change how the world sees Belize. It’s called the Belize Foreign Policy Yearbook, 2004 and is designed to keep the international community up to date on the state of the country’s diplomacy and its stance on issues such as foreign trade. According to Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Godfrey Smith, since its first edition in 2003, the yearbook has proven itself extremely useful.

Godfrey Smith, Minister of Foreign Affairs
?It is a creative way, I believe, for small countries to get themselves on the global map of international relations. The yearbook invariably finds itself in the hands of groups or international bodies involved in international relations. They do a critique of it, Belize is noticed, they monitor our foreign policy and indeed where we have circulated it in Central America and CARICOM, it?s been well received and other foreign ministers have said that it is something they would wish to emulate in their countries.?

Janelle Chanona
?I notice that Belize-Guatemala relations are at the top of the list. Is that Belize?s number one foreign policy issue??

Godfrey Smith
?I think it must continue to be the number one foreign policy issue until a final, comprehensive resolution is reached. We are not there yet, so yes, because of national security implications and because it goes to the very heart of Belize?s sovereignty and territorial integrity, it must continue to remain the priority for our diplomatic relations.?

The Belize Foreign Policy Yearbook 2004 was officially presented to the public by the dean of the diplomatic corps, Ambassador Charles Tsai of the Republic of China on Taiwan, during ceremonies this morning at the Central Bank in Belize City.