Courtenay: compromise must be worked out
For a more detailed explanation how this issue may play out, we spoke to Minister of Foreign Trade Eamon Courtenay. Courtenay, a former Attorney General, has been working closely with the Belize Tourism Board to move the discussions forward.
Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Trade
?Carnival has a legally binding contract with the Government of Belize and Ports of Belize Limited. There is no dispute about that. What has happened is that there are certain clauses in that contract, which looking at it again and especially from the point of the Belize Tourist Board, there have been objections to the language used. No one has a problem with the essence of the contract and so we have been meeting with Carnival trying to look at those clauses to see whether we can find language that Carnival is happy with, that the BTB is happy with. So far we have not been able to find accommodation. Carnival’s position is quite rightly that they have a legally binding contract and they wouldn’t need to renegotiate. Personally speaking, I would hope that they would see the wisdom in being more flexible in looking at the clauses of the contract that we are talking about, seeing that they do not go to the heart of the contract but more importantly–in my view–I think the Belizean populace and the stakeholders in the tourism industry also have difficulty with the language and what is expressed there. I believe that there is tremendous room for compromise and to find a happy medium. I think above all that the BTB–as I understand it and I believe it–they are very interested in working with Carnival in seeing the implementation of their project. So I think at the moment what we are saying is–like Sumo wrestling–a lot of people just doing the dance and circling and circling,big giants circling and dancing and taking positions, but at the end of the day I believe that we would come together and find a solution.?
It is understood that officials from Carnival will be arriving in Belize shortly for more talks with Government.
