Belize and Guatemala sign an agreement to keep the peace

Wilfred Elrington

A high level meeting took place in Washington today between the Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala, Wilfred Elrington and Fernando Carrera, and OAS Secretary General Miguel Insulza.  It ended with the penning of a document entitled Roadmap for Strengthening Bilateral Relations in 2014 between Belize and Guatemala. The roadmap identifies specific aspects of the Framework Agreement for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures between the parties to promote peace, security and cooperation.  According to the release, the agreement gives way to revisiting the simultaneous referenda that was scheduled for October sixth, 2013, but postponed. The roadmap will also ensure the management of bilateral relations between both countries until “such time as Guatemala’s claim to Belize is finally and definitively resolved.” After the signing Elrington addressed the gathering.

Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“This occasion evidences the commitment and the resolve of the government of Guatemala and of Belize with the support of the Organization of the American Stats to use our best efforts to develop that climate of trust and confidence that is absolutely essential for a successful resolution of the Guatemala claim to Belize. Indeed, whereas we intend to have a judicial resolution to the claim, a judicial resolution would really be empty if in fact we did not have an excellent relationship between our two countries—one that is characterized by trust, confidence and interaction between our two peoples. For all of us here in this room, it is a question of enlightened self-interest for us to see a successful resolution of the Belize/Guatemala claim. It is going to be a deterrent for the complete integration of the region if in fact we have these claims having over; it prevents the complete integration which we all aspire to and which we all know is going to advance the development of our peoples and our region. Guatemala and Belize began to all the organizations in the region and as we strengthen those organizations we need to do more things together and work more closely together for the benefits of our people. And so it is imperative that we have no impediment to that kind of harmonious relationship which we have.”