Chile confirmed Thursday that it has recalled its ambassador to
Peru as a result of the maritime boundary demand presented by Peru
at the international court at The Hague.
Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley said that, in this
kind of situations "it is normal to summon home the ambassador, it
is a usual step in diplomacy. And he is going to be here as long as
necessary."
Foxley said he will hold "a long conversation with the
ambassador Cristian Barros to analyze the situation" and "to get
ready for the future scenario."
"We are going to take some days to review all the agenda and to
agree on a very fine strategy in respect to this issue. I do not
want to dramatize this," said Foxley.
The main goal is to assure "that what occurred will allow us a
good defense for Chile, but also normalcy in relations with
neighboring countries," Foxley added.
The Hague Court reported Wednesday that Peru "began procedures
against Chile demanding a zone within 200 miles of the coast, that
belongs to Peru but Chile believes is part of its ocean."
Chile argues that the maritime boundary with Peru was
established under two bilateral accords signed in 1952 and
1954.
Peruvian President Alan Garcia told parliament Wednesday the
lawsuit aimed to solve the problem peacefully, fairly and
completely and that he hoped to avoid any damage to the relations
between the two countries.
Peru said the two treaties were merely fishing accords and
accused Chile of "grabbing" 37,900 sq km of rich sea area from
Peru.
(Xinhua News Agency January 18, 2008)
