Belize-Guatemala talks continue at O.A.S.

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belize and Guatemala are meeting today and tomorrow at the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. The ministerial meeting between Godfrey Smith and Jorge Briz is focusing on a new set of confidence building measures to replace the ones which expire on Thursday. According to a statement on the O.A.S. web page, at the start of the meeting chaired by Secretary General Cesar Gaviria, the ministers announced “the beginning of a new era in their bilateral relationship in which the parties commit themselves to promote favourable conditions for reaching a definitive solution to the “differendum” for maintaining a constructive dialogue and for finding new ways of working together to allow socio-economic problems that affect the populations of both countries to be resolved.” According to the O.A.S. statement, both sides also agreed to work together to advance the cause of regional integration, while at the same time promoting mutual “respect and useful and peaceful coexistence.” While Belmopan is silent on the Washington talks, the O.A.S. says that a mutual legal assistance agreement, a free trade agreement, the facilitation of transit of people and goods of both countries, and the development of joint initiatives to promote tourism are among the elements which will be considered for inclusion in the new confidence building measures.