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BELIZE-GUATEMALA GROUP OF FRIENDS MEETS AT OAS

  December 14, 2006

The Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala met this week at the Organization of American States (OAS) for a briefing on the negotiation process underway between the two countries.

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza
congratulated the governments of Belize and Guatemala for the progress reached so far through this process and thanked the governments of the Group of Friends for their support. He also stressed the importance of continuing to accompany this effort by Belize and Guatemala to reach points of agreement through the negotiations.

For his part, the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Belize and Guatemala, Ambassador Raul Lago, reported on the efforts carried out by the General Secretariat in support of the negotiations related to the maritime area, with the participation of Honduras, and on the ongoing work of the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone. This zone was established by both countries several years ago, through negotiations held under the auspices of the OAS.

During his presentation, Ambassador Lago reported on progress being made on a project to resettle the community of Santa Rosa and underscored the need for continued support from the Group of Friends for the continuation of this effort.

The delegations of Belize and Guatemala highlighted the support provided by the General Secretariat and in particular the work and activities undertaken by the OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone to promote confidence-building measures agreed to by both countries.

The Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala is made up of member states and permanent observers that contribute to, and closely follow, the negotiation process between the two neighboring countries.

Reference: E-281/06