Prime Minister Briceño official visit to Guatemala focused on strengthening trade ties

Prime Minister Honorable John Briceño returned to Belize on Tuesday, August 27th after leading a delegation on an official visit to Guatemala. Briceño met with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and members of the private sector and discussed trade opportunities.
Briceño’s delegation comprised of Minister of Foreign Affairs Honorable Francis Fonseca, Minister of Defence and Border Security Honorable Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Honorable Christopher Coye, Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics and E-Governance Honorable Michel Chebat, Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Local Government and Labour Honorable Oscar Requena and recently installed Minister of State in Foreign Trade Osmond Martinez.
The leaders discussed various aspects of the bilateral agenda including security cooperation, the commitment to fully implementing the Partial Scope Agreement for trade, and potential areas for expansion. The discussions also explored ways to improve interactions along the border region of Jalacate, Toledo in southern Belize, and the community of Santa Cruz, Guatemala. This has been an area in the southernmost part of the country where the cross-border movement of people has been almost unregulated.
In his official address, Prime Minister Briceño reaffirmed Belize’s unwavering commitment to building stronger ties with Guatemala by working together to overcome barriers and meet the needs of both Guatemalans and Belizeans. “Through determined efforts and close collaboration, we can usher in a new era of prosperity and cooperation that will benefit our people and the broader international community,” Briceño noted. The prime minister added that the meetings were very productive, and his delegation identified new markets to grow trade opportunities between the two countries.In addition, Briceño expressed his appreciation for President Arévalo’s support for Belize’s membership in the Council of Ministers of Finance for the Central American Integration System, abbreviated SICA in Spanish, and Belize’s observer status in the Secretariat for Central American Economic Integration or SIECA in Spanish. Briceño emphasized that differences can be positively resolved through dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful diplomatic means.
While the meetings only touched on topics of cooperation and trade, Guatemala and Belize currently have a case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The case involves a territorial, insular, and maritime claim from Guatemala over Belize and is about to enter the oral hearings of the process. The issue stems from the 1859 Boundary Treaty signed between Guatemala and Great Britain. In 1945, a new Guatemalan government led by President Arévalo’s father Juan Jose Arévalo oversaw the drafting of a new constitution nulling the boundary treaty signed with the British and demanding rights over Belize. While Guatemala has not officially declared how much Belizean territory is claimed, the previous government indicated that they will attempt to get through the ICJ more than half of the country along with several Cayes (islands) on the Caribbean Sea.