BELMOPAN, Belize - Belize has held discussions with Guatemala on the formalization of the Jalacte border crossing a government statement has said.
Jalacte borderJalacte is a village on Belize’s side of the border and villagers have long been traversing the area freely, ‘exporting’ agricultural products to Guatemala and importing consumer goods into Belize.
The two countries have a long standing border dispute and according to the government statement, Minister of State for the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment, Christopher Coye, recently led a delegation that held talks Guatemala’s Minister of Public Finance, Jonathan Menkos.
The two government officials were attending the February 5-6 Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) 37th meeting of Governors of the Central American Isthmus and the Dominican Republic, held in Antigua, Guatemala.
The statement said that the meeting with Menkos discussed “numerous critical matters… including the formalisation of the Jalacte Border crossing in the Toledo District, support for Belize’s entry into SIEPAC (The Central American Electrical Interconnection System), enhancement of banking relationships between Belize and Guatemala, and streamlining the exportation of bananas to and through Guatemala to other Central American countries, including El Salvador.
“Both countries expressed a commitment to formalize the Jalacte Border, indicating a new era of regional integration. This initiative promises economic revitalization, job creation, and tourism promotion in Belize’s southern region. The two nations also vowed to explore solutions to facilitate smoother financial flows for trade and commerce, acknowledging challenges in cross-border transactions,” the statement said,
It said that the “outcomes of these deliberations underscore a shared commitment to fostering economic growth, promoting sustainable development, and fortifying regional ties”.
Guatemala has disputed its land boundary with Belize since its independence in the 19th century. The border and resulting dispute stem from colonial documents, first between the United Kingdom and Spain and later between the United Kingdom, on behalf of British Honduras, now Belize, and independent Guatemala.
In 2008, at the urgency of the Organization of American States, Belize and Guatemala signed a Special Agreement to settle the long-standing territorial dispute between both countries at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Regarding the IDB meeting, the statement the delegation met with IDB president, Ilan Goldfajn and that “aligned with the IDB’s new institutional strategy supporting regional economic integration, Coye highlighted the importance of a Belize-inclusive Central American integration, particularly in logistics (transportation and port) and energy”
It said areas of integration opportunities underscored included the contemplated expansion of the Pacific Corridor Initiative to include Belize as an Atlantic/Caribbean Corridor and Southern Mexico access alternative.
“Belize, uniquely positioned as a member of CARICOM (Caribbean Community) and SICA ( Central American Integration System)and with geographic advantage, offers a ready opportunity to facilitate trade between southern Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Central American countries.”
The statement said that the second priority area discussed was the SIEPAC and renewable energy and that the “discussions highlighted Belize’s potential to become a significant energy partner through SIEPAC, an interconnection project spanning six Central American countries. “With investments in solar energy, Belize is primed to harness its renewable resources for regional benefit, while at the same time enhancing energy stability and security by way of alternative energy access through SIEPAC,” the statement added.
