Belize, El Salvador Move to Strengthen Regional Ties

Belize and El Salvador are moving to deepen their friendship and expand cooperation across several key areas. This week, senior officials from both countries met in San Salvador for a series of high-level engagements focused on strengthening bilateral ties and advancing regional integration. Belize’s delegation was led by Ambassador Oscar Arnold, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. On Tuesday, Ambassador Arnold joined representatives from across the Central American Integration System, known as SICA, to welcome Ambassador Lina Ajoy as the new SICA Secretary-General. Belize’s participation, officials say, reflects the country’s continued commitment to regional cooperation that produces real benefits for people across Central America. Then on Wednesday, Belize and El Salvador held the Third Belize-El Salvador Binational Commission in San Salvador. The meeting brought both sides to the table to discuss practical areas of cooperation, including trade, security, migration, health, agriculture, education, tourism, and regional integration. The Salvadoran delegation was led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Adriana Mira, while Ambassador Arnold led Belize’s team. He was joined by Ambassador Alfonso Gahona, Director of International Affairs, and Tricia Gideon, Deputy Director General for Trade. Several Belizean ministries also participated virtually, including Tourism, Immigration, Agriculture, and Education, giving the discussions a broad, whole-of-government approach. Officials say the Binational Commission served as an important platform to identify new opportunities for collaboration and to reinforce the longstanding ties between Belize and El Salvador.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: