Written question asked by Valerie Vaz (Labour) on Wednesday, 9 February 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 14 February 2011. It was answered by Jeremy Browne (Liberal Democrat) on Monday, 14 February 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Belize: Guatemala

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the state of relations between Belize and Guatemala.

Answer: The UK works to maintain momentum towards a lasting resolution of the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala. I discussed the dispute with the Guatemalan Foreign Minister in Guatemala in November. He welcomed recent progress, including the unanimous vote by Guatemala's Congress to allow a referendum in Guatemala on the issue of whether to take the border dispute to the International Court of Justice.The Governments of Belize and Guatemala must now agree a date to hold national referenda in their two countries. We welcome the positive and crucial role of the Organisation of American States Mission to the Adjacency Zone between Guatemala and Belize, including its efforts to maintain peace and security, and build confidence between the communities living there. We welcome Guatemala's adoption of the bilateral Partial Scope Trade Agreement, which will facilitate trade between the two countries and which has quickly delivered an increase in agricultural exports from Belize to Guatemala.

Secondary information