Foreign Ministers of Belize and Guatemala Meet at OAS Office at the Adjacency Zone

Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize met on Friday, May 24, 2019, with his counterpart H.E. Sandra Jovel Polanco, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guatemala, at the Organization of American States (OAS) Office at the Adjacency Zone.

The two Ministers took stock of the progress made in the Belize-Guatemala process. Minister Elrington updated Minister Jovel on Belize’s referendum held on May 8, 2019, wherein the people of Belize agreed to refer Guatemala’s claim to Belize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in accordance with the Special Agreement. Minister Jovel congratulated Belize on the successful referendum which now paves the way for the case to be heard at the Court.

The two Ministers agreed to jointly brief the members of the OAS next month in Washington, D.C. They also agreed to make arrangements to apprise the Group of Friends of the Belize-Guatemala process including the next steps to bring the claim before the ICJ.

Minister Elrington reiterated the need for confidence-building measures for the Sarstoon River in order to minimize tension and avoid conflict. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working together to strengthen bilateral relations.