In news from the Caribbean, word from CARICOM leaders tonight is that they have decided to back controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in his bid for a seat on the United Nation’s Security Council … and Belize is the reason. In a statement from CARICOM Chair and St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, […]
It’s easy to be pessimistic about any settlement of Guatemala’s long standing territorial claim against Belize … but that doesn’t mean that relations between the two countries must remain forever frozen. Today, as News Five’s Alyssa noble reports, there was a thaw. Alyssa Noble, Reporting The improvement of trade relations between Belize and Guatemala have […]
This afternoon, Belize welcomed Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning, and CARICOM secretary general Edwin Carrington. The delegation arrived in Belize at one and during a working luncheon, the dignitaries held official talks with Belize’s Prime Minister Said Musa and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eamon Courtenay. During a press briefing following the closed […]
On Friday Belize will host the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Patrick Manning. Manning, accompanied by CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington, will hold a short meeting with Prime Minister Said Musa in Belize City followed by a press briefing at the Radisson. The discussions will focus on regional issues as Manning nears the end […]
Belize is one step closer to the implementation of an oil agreement with Venezuela. On Thursday the two countries inked a document for the formation of a joint venture company, ALBA Petrocaribe Belize Energy Limited. With this latest signing, Belize can now commence construction of storage tanks for the distribution of refined petroleum products from […]
Signing for G.O.B. this afternoon was Prime Minister Said Musa. He took the opportunity to respond to harsh criticisms by the United States of America of Belize’s record on human trafficking. Said Musa, Prime Minister ?That Belize is now lumped and almost put in a box so to speak with, Belize, Venezuela and Cuba; I […]
After a day and a half of negotiations, this morning Belize and Cuba officially endorsed a new agreement for partnerships in 2006. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Eamon Courtenay, Belize can never repay Cuba for its contributions to the areas of health and education. Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and […]
And while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strengthens ties with Cuba, newly appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Eamon Courtenay says that while Belize will continue to enhance its relations with the United States and the Republic of China on Taiwan, number one priority remains the settlement of the Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory. Eamon Courtenay, […]
Since the Guatemalan Government’s rejection of the Ramphal-Reichler proposals in 2003, the once all consuming issue of that country’s territorial claim has taken a back seat in the public eye to more pressing issues of domestic politics. But the process, officially rekindled at the O.A.S. in September of last year, continues, and today the press […]
During brief handing-over ceremonies in Belmopan today, the Ministry of National Development officially received more than three hundred sixty thousand dollars courtesy of the British Government. High Commissioner Alan Jones presented Minister Mark Espat with cheques for three different poverty elimination initiatives. Just over one hundred thousand will go the Public Sector Investment Programme for […]
In a bit of good news for the Belize Police Department, the force has received a donation from the government of India which they hope will improve response time to calls from the public, particularly in rural areas. The three-wheel Bajaj vehicles are currently being assembled at Price Barracks in Ladyville by members of the […]
In Belmopan today, Minister of National Development, Investment, and Culture, Mark Espat, officially received a check valued at more than three million Belize dollars from Head of Delegation of the European Commission, Gerd Jarchow. Present during brief signing ceremonies in the Cabinet room this morning were Minister of Agriculture Mike Espat and Minister of State […]
Caribbean leaders converged in Jamaica today to participate in the official inauguration ceremony to launch the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. Representatives included heads of governments from across the Caribbean, the Caribbean Court of Justice, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the University of the West Indies. Standing in for Belize’s Prime Minister Said Musa was […]
As Taiwan’s fourth and longest serving ambassador to Belize, Charles Tsai has presided over a deepening of ties between two countries unprecedented since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1989. At the end of January, Tsai will leave his post for reassignment to the Foreign Ministry in Taipei. This morning he spoke to News Five’s […]
A project to assist in the recovery of stolen vehicles got its third and final financial instalment this week from the Republic of China on Taiwan. Ambassador Charles Tsai presented a check for almost one hundred and twenty-seven thousand Belize dollars to Minister of Home Affairs Ralph Fonseca. A previous amount of three hundred and […]
The Belize delegation has left the World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong, but reports are that the round, while not ending in collapse like previous meetings in Seattle and Cancun, has produced largely “insubstantial results.” In his final presentation to the world’s leaders, Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith puts the blame for […]
Tonight there is news to report in the banana talks in Hong Kong. According to international media reports, bananas imported from the Africa, Caribbean Pacific Group will enter Europe tariff free, while fruit from the Latin American countries has been set at one hundred and seventy-six Euros or two hundred and twelve U.S. dollars per […]
Few Belizeans might realise that half a world away, the outcome of talks in a Hong Kong boardroom has the power to significantly affect Belize’s agricultural sector. A Belizean delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith is putting the country’s case for better prices for local bananas on the international market to the […]
Today in Belize City, Government officials hosted Mexican representatives in a cultural exchange between the two countries. Licenciado Octavio Chavez Galvadon, director of the Quintanarroense de la Cultura and Dr. Jose Luis Pech Varguez, Secretary of Education and Culture in Mexico arrived in the country this morning for a one-day working visit to Belize. Over […]
In news from Cabinet, that executive body has appointed its secretary to serve as the Commissioner for Belize in the Belize Guatemala negotiations. Via a press release issued today, it was announced that Robert Leslie will fill the role of commissioner as set out in Article Twenty in the September seventh 2005 agreement as part […]
We’ve been down this road many times before, so pardon us if we don’t get overly excited about the latest efforts to put an end to Guatemala’s long running claim to our country. This time around the venue for talks was San Pedro, Ambergris Caye… which is where I caught up with the negotiators. Janelle […]
It did not take long for Belize to take advantage of Venezuela’s offer to provide petroleum products on concessionary terms. According to Venezuelan press reports, an agreement was signed Friday under which the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, will send us a first shipment of fifteen thousand barrels of diesel. Delivery from a Venezuelan […]
It may have been buried by his subsequent face off with the media, but today in Belmopan Prime Minister Said Musa signed an agreement under which the European Union will give Belize seven million Euros to finance rural development. The effort is described as taking a “bottom up” approach in which rural communities will put […]
The blockade of Cuba. It’s been a fact of life in U.S. politics for four decades… but for the people of Cuba it is literally a matter of life and death. Today the Cuban Embassy in Belize held a press conference to seek support for an end to the economic sanctions and lobby for a […]
This evening a trade agreement was signed between the cities of Houston and Belize. Attending the ceremony at City Hall was a large delegation from Houston’s business sector and TriBCounty Black Chamber of Commerce. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods spoke with Belize City Mayor David Fonseca and Council member Ronald Green, who signed on behalf of […]
