December17,2009TheOrganizationofAmericanStates(OAS)willhelpbringevencloserthegovernmentsandpeopleofBelizeandGuatemalathroughcooperationprojects,aswasdecidedinameetingbetweenthetwocountries’respectiveforeignministers,WilfredElringtonandRogerHaroldoRodasMelgar,andJoséMiguelInsulza,theSecretaryGeneraloftheOAS.AsaresultofthemeetingandfollowingaproposalbytheOASSecretaryGeneral,ahighlevelworkinggroupwillbecreated,topromoteadirectandcontinuouslineofcommunicationbetweenbothsidesonthesituationoftheAdjacencyZoneandeventuallyotherterritorialareasindispute,toanalyzeissuesprovokingdifficultiesandadvanceinpendingbilateralissues.ThegroupwillbeintegratedbytherespectiveAmbassadorstobothcountries,representativesfrombothForeignMinistersandtheOASGeneralSecretariat.ThehighlevelworkinggroupwillinformbothMinistersregardingtheagreementsreached.Furthermore,itwillelaborateproposalstobothgovernmentsaboutjointprojectsofcooperation,withtechnicalassistancefromtheOAS.Cooperationinenvironmentalissueshasbeenmentionedamongtheissuessofar.“WehavetakenaseriesofdecisionsthatwillcontributetosolvespecificproblemsthatexistandwearegoingtosettheminmotioninthenextfewdaystostimulatetheworkofcooperationintheAdjacencyZone,”SecretaryGeneralInsulzasaid.ThetwoMinisterswelcomedthecreationoftheHighlevelworkinggrouptofurtherfacilitatetheefficiencyinthefulfillmentoftheConfidence‐BuildingMeasuresandthepossibilityofcarryingoutjointprojectsofcooperationintheframeworkoftheOAS.TheMinisterofForeignRelationsandCommerceofBelizesaidthat“acordialrelationshipbetweenneighborsisbasedontrustandconfidence.Itisasaconsequenceofinteractionthatyoudevelopconfidence.Wehavetointeracttoemphasizetheviewthatwearenotdifferentfromeachother;thefactofthisartificialborderdoesnotmakeusdifferent.Wearestillthesamepeople,withthesameaspirationsanddesires.”TheMinisterofForeignRelationsofGuatemala,forhispart,saidthat“thereisaclearwillfromthegovernmentofPresidentColomtoadvanceinallprogramsofmutualcooperation.MinisterRodasalsoacknowledgedtheactiveandefficentjobcarriedoutbytheOASthroughitsOfficeintheAdjacencyZoneandhighlightedthattheFrameworkagreementreachedinSeptember2005constitutestheRoadMapforthehighlevelworkinggrouptobecreated.Ingeneral,allattendeespraisedthecordialatmosphereoftheeventandthediscussionofissuessurroundingtheAdjacencyZone.“Themostpositivethingisthegoodwillthatisevidentonbothsides,thewillingness,thegoodwillthatisalwaysessentialinachievingunderstanding.Inthiscasethegoodwillofthetwoministersandtheirstrong

desiretoreachasolutiontotheproblemswasveryapparent,”theOASSecretaryGeneraladded.“Bothgovernmentsarewillingtoworktogether.Neitherwantstensionsorproblems,andwearesurethatexistingoneswillbesolved,”saidMinisterElrington.“Thereiswillingnesstosolvetheproblems,”agreedMinisterRodas.Since2000,theOAShasassistedthegovernmentsofBelizeandGuatemaladuringtheprocessofnegotiationandfacilitationtoreachapeacefulsolutiontotheirlandcontroversy,includingthesigningofvariousagreementstopromotetrust,theestablishmentofanOASOfficeintheAdjacencyZoneandtheacceptancebybothpartiesoftheGeneralSecretariat’ssuggestionthattheirdisputebesubmittedtotheInternationalCourtofJustice.