Belize has three new ambassadors. This morning Vassilios Karantonis of Greece, Peter Oyedele of Nigeria and Lars Ole Vaagan of Norway presented their credentials to the Governor General of Belize. While in Belmopan the ambassadors also paid courtesy visits to Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington.
In foreign affairs news, Kirsten Madison, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State is in Belize on a familiarization trip to acquaint herself with the new players in Belmopan. Madison works out of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and this afternoon told us about her visit and the role of her office. Kirsten D. Madison, […]
Belize has surfaced in an investigation of millions of dollars involving former President of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian. According to news reports coming out of that country, the former president, his wife, son, brother-in-law and daughter-in-law are being investigated to determine the whereabouts of thirty-one million U.S. dollars they are accused of depositing in offshore accounts […]
While Cuba is recovering from a string of hurricanes, Belize today accredited its new ambassador to the island. Said “Badi” Guerra presented his Letters of Credentials to Julio Almeira, Vice President of Cuba and delivered a personal message from Prime Minister Dean Barrow to Almeira, reiterating Belize’s solidarity with the government and people of Cuba […]
In 2004, the CARICOM countries and the Dominican Republic, known as CARIFORUM began negotiations with the European Union for an Economic Partnership agreement known as the EPA which replaces the Cotonou Agreement, a treaty between the European Union and the group of African, Caribbean and Pacific countries in June 2000 for development cooperation. After years […]
There’s a new member to the diplomatic community in Belize. And he is from Cuba. Manuel Rubido Diaz presented his credentials as Cuba’s representative in Belize this morning to Governor General Sir Colville Young, expressing anticipation to work and strengthen the friendship that already exists between the two countries. Diaz replaces Eugenio Martinez Enriquez.
Mechanic students of the Institute of Technical and Vocational Education and Training, today benefitted from a 1999 Ford Escort courtesy of the Canadian Government. The car will be used by the students as they put theory into practice. Throughout the week, the Canadian Government has been assisting communities with various projects around the Belize. At […]
With new faces at the top in the Tourism Ministry, there are also changes in the marketing strategies of the Tourism Board. B.T.B. revealed today that it has contracted the U.S. based firm of B.V.K. Advertising and Public Relations Firm to market Belize in the United States as a prime tourism destination. B.V.K. takes over […]
And in other news in the tourism industry, the hoteliers in Belize have released its first Hotel Directory which serves as a comprehensive guide of accommodations in the tourism industry. The publication is an initiative of the Belize Hotel Association and is being made available to major tourist agents abroad in particular in the U.S. […]
The Guatemalan claim to Belize; it is the number one priority in foreign policy for the government of Belize. And while negotiations have been conducted for decades, it is now clear that a negotiated settlement will not be reached and that the preferred way forward is through settlement at the International Court of Justice in […]
It’s job is mainly to promote entrepreneurial development, investment and marketing for small and medium enterprises in Belize and today the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service, BELTRAIDE, put forth its application to the Caribbean Export Development Agency for future grant funding. It’s an important undertaking, says the organization’s General Manager, Roberto Harrison, as these […]
Various agreements were reached today between Belize and Cuba that will further assist Belizeans to access opportunities in health, education, sports and agriculture. A new area, in which both countries agreed to cooperate, deals with issues that affect municipalities. The two countries wrapped up today the eleventh Mixed Commission which is the mechanism that reviews […]
Little has been heard of this organization, and today Belize became the newest member of the Caribbean M.O.U. Port State Control Committee, which deals with issues pertaining to inspections of vessels entering Belizean waters. The Committee has been meeting over the past twelve years and this week they are in Belize. And what exactly does […]
There is a reaction to the increased acts of violence and the recent spate of murders in the city and western Belize that has the potential to adversely affect tourist arrivals. The U.S. Embassy has issued a travel advisory to its citizens cautioning travel to Belize, and encouraging them to register at the nearest diplomatic […]
The government of Guatemala has made a donation to the government of Belize. The aid, which is to be used in times of natural disasters, includes medical and hospital equipment, first aid kits, and other emergency material necessary to assist the population during emergencies. The supplies are valued at forty-six thousand Belize dollars and were […]
And while Belizeans have been slapped with criminal charges in neighbouring Chetumal, businessman Rafael Chavez will no longer be around to represent their interests. This morning Rafael Chavez’s appointment as Belize’s honorary consul was terminated by the Barrow administration. His marching orders were to close down the Consulate by the end of the working day. […]
The Ministry of Finance is crunching the numbers for next week’s budget presentation and just in time, the government of Taiwan has come forward with twenty-five million dollars in budget support. Taiwan’s representative in Belize, Ambassador Shih handed over the gift to Prime Minister Barrow yesterday. An additional twenty-five million has been committed by Taiwan […]
When the last round of negotiations between Belize and Guatemala failed to resolve the matter of that country’s territorial claim to Belize, Secretary General of the O.A.S. Miguel Insulza, suggested that the issue would best be settled by the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Both the Barrow administration and the Guatemalan government have […]
And in unrelated news from the foreign affairs front, there are startling reports coming out of Belmopan tonight which indicate that the top British diplomat’s mission to Belize has come to an abrupt end. According to our sources, British High Commissioner, John Yapp, who arrived in Belize last August on a three year assignment has […]
They may no longer award university scholarships like the Mexicans and Cubans do today, but the United States government is not stingy when it comes to deploying its military construction teams to Belize. This morning News Five’s Kendra Griffith found the U.S. soldiers back in familiar territory. Kendra Griffith, Reporting Last March, Hattieville Government School […]
They are a long way from home, particularly for a force whose main task is to guard its island homeland from invasion by a sometimes belligerent mainland. But the Navy of the Republic of China on Taiwan has other missions … including the promotion of goodwill between friends. And, as News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports, […]
News from Geneva is that Ambassador and former Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay has been elected to a high post in the International Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement. In elections held today Courtenay was one of five delegates selected for the organisation’s Standing Commission. The others represent the United States, Mali, Italy and Jordan. Courtenay has been […]
The ban on Belizean commercial airline flights into Guatemala continues and it appears that despite earlier optimism about an early end to the controversy it may be many months before service can be renewed. The problem remains the Guatemalan requirement that all airlines operating in that country be in possession of an Air Operator’s Certificate. […]
With yesterday’s O.A.S. recommendation that the Guatemalan claim to Belize would best be resolved by the International Court of Justice, Belizeans learned that they would soon be faced with some tough decisions; namely, whether to approve the submission of the case to a process that would be binding on both parties. Today we asked one […]
In other news out of Belmopan, the Prime Minister left the country today en route to Kampala, Uganda for a meeting of Commonwealth Heads of Government. The fifty-three member grouping of former British colonies includes countries as large as India and as technologically advanced as the U.K., Canada, and Australia. The commonwealth has traditionally been […]
