PM Barrow Holds Discussions with Guatemalan Foreign Minister

Jimmy Morales

Prime Minister Dean Barrow is in Guatemala City where he attended the inauguration of President Jimmy Morales on Thursday and returns to the country on Sunday.  In his thirty-four minute lofty speech, Morales referred briefly, for about fifteen seconds, on relations with Belize. He said, “We want to advance in the resolution of the territorial, maritime and insular dispute with Belize, with whom we wish to develop a bilateral agenda of neighbourliness and cooperation.” This morning, News Five’s Marleni Cuellar sat with Prime Minister Dean Barrow at the Camino Real for an extended one-on-one interview touching on a number of national issues on the front burner.  In tonight’s newscast, we carry part one of the interview. We start with his comments on relations with the new President of Guatemala Jimmy Morales, who visited in late November as part of a regional tour before assuming office. Barrow says the air is clear.

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I am extremely optimistic extremely hopeful we know that there were some little hiccups right at the start just after he’d been elected but I think we got over those very quickly and when he came to Belize as a part of his regional tour as president elect. We got along well. And both of us engaged in some straight talk about what we expected from the relations. I was reassured then and even more reassured yesterday in his inaugural address, he referred to the relations with Belize and that we wished to see the issue settled and he wish to pursue good neighborly relations with Belize. So I am extremely encouraged.”