Email

Print

But the press conference was pulled up to this evening, even though the man with the most information, Foreign Minister Elrington himself, was still on the flight back home. So, the Prime Minister started off the press conference to talk about the meetings, and here's how he put it:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I must first of all apologize for the absence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Wilfred Sedi Elrington. His flight was to have landed in Belize at 12:25 this afternoon and it was delayed to the point where that flight is only now just touchdown at the Philip Goldson International Airport. We greatly appreciate the OAS Secretary General's statement last night, following his meetings with Belize and Guatemala which statement makes clear that both nations are to "adopt a cooperation mechanism as soon as possible to normalize the situation in the Sarstoon River." In other words as I understand it the two countries are to agree an operational protocol regarding the Sarstoon and the statement commends their willingness to do this. As the Secretary General put it, he "welcome the readiness of both parties to advance in the negotiations of the cooperation mechanism." for the Sarstoon."

"The government of Belize regards the results of the Washington meeting as something of a breakthrough. Of course there is still a lot of work to be done in order to achieve a satisfactory outcome to the Sarstoon negotiations that have now been mandated between Belize and Guatemala and we cannot rest content until those negotiations have been finally concluded and there is a formal agreement in writing. But there is no doubt that progress has been made and that progress vindicates, among other things, the recent actions of our government in placing a temporary ban on civilians going to the Sarstoon. We had made clear last Friday and again on Monday that we acted so as to forestall any possibility of damage to property or injury to persons occurring as a result civilian entry into the cauldron of the Sarstoon. But we also acted so as to give our diplomacy a chance to work, especially in light of these Washington meetings which we had been seeking."

So, if you're puzzled about what new information was actually revealed, we were too. So, we asked the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Elrington, who arrived later on. Here's what they said:

Daniel Ortiz
"Can you give us any additional details? Can you share with us some of the discussions that happened these last 3 days in Washington or is at this time too sensitive?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Well, that certainly one reason why it cannot, the last point you made. But I also can't because I wasn't there and the Minister who was there is not now here. Let me welcome the Minister."

Reporter
"Is he able to expound on those meetings?"

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Well, you can certainly ask him. As I said I believe that none of us is going to get into the details of the exchanges."

Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Minister of Foreign Affairs
"Essentially we have really briefed the Prime Minister as to all that we know, so that really we not really in a position to give you any information than he is giving you. We have given him all the information on this matter. He has heard from myself, from Alexis, he has heard from Pat, who attended all the meetings and so he is fully sees of the details and facts and I don't think we can add anything more to what he's saying to the nation than what he is now saying."

Daniel Ortiz
"Mr. Prime Minister I leave this press conference scratching my head. Nothing has been revealed of substance apart from (my opinion) the fact that we know that these meetings happened."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I am really am experiencing a bit of a puzzlement. The media complained loud and long. If they ever are of the view and get the sense that government is not in fact ensuring a full information flow. This business of the difficulties with Guatemala and in particular the question of the Sarstoon has grip this nation - has exercise this nation. It is clearly the duty of the government to report and to report fully."

Daniel Ortiz
"There is no further detail that you've shared with us that we haven't seen from the OAS and you say that you can't reveal the substance of that meeting. That's all we've gotten so far."

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Mr. Ortiz, the substance of the meeting is revealed by way of the statement made by the Secretary General. I don't know if you would have like and were expecting a sort of blow by blow account of the meeting. That's not ever what happens."