Belize and Guatemala defence ministries to meet

Ministers of Defence from Belize and Guatemala will meet for the first time this week in an effort to ease tensions between the two nations. The talks, to be held in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, will take place on Friday and Saturday. They form part of the negotiating process initiated last month in Washington D.C. under the supervision of the Organisation of American States. Belize’s delegation will be headed by Minister of National Security Jorge Espat and will include CEO Alan Usher and BDF Commandant General Robert Garcia. Their counterparts across the table will be Guatemalan Defence Minister General Juan de Dios Estrada and members of the military and foreign ministry. The discussions will focus on the development of confidence building measures between the two forces particularly along the border.