Honduran and Nicaraguan Foreign Ministers to Meet at OAS

The Foreign Ministers of Honduras and Nicaragua, Roberto Flores Berm�dez and Eduardo Montealegre Rivas, will meet Monday and Tuesday at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters in Washington to discuss the implementation of measures to continue reducing tensions arising from their maritime dispute.

This will be their fourth round of talks with OAS Special Representative Luigi Einaudi, who was appointed to help reduce tensions and facilitate dialogue between the two countries. During a meeting last month in El Salvador, the foreign ministers agreed to a series of confidence-building measures, including a combined patrol mechanism in the Caribbean Sea.

"Both countries remain firm in their commitment to resolve their differences in accordance with international law," said Einaudi, who is meeting today with technical experts from both countries to discuss details of the measures. "From the beginning, Honduras and Nicaragua have both worked to keep the peace and further the process of integration in Central America."

The substance of the maritime boundary issue that has led to tensions between the two countries will be decided by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The agreement signed last month establishes mechanisms to help maintain peaceful relations while the parties wait for a decision from the International Court.