Foreign Minister Heraldo Muñoz led the Chilean delegation today at the 46th Regular Session of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose central theme is "Institutional Strengthening for Sustainable Development in the Americas".
During his speech in the plenary session, Foreign Minister Muñoz referred to statements made by his Bolivian counterpart, David Choquehuanca, which "relate directly to my country".
Faced with an audience composed of representatives from the 35 countries gathered in the capital of the Dominican Republic, the Secretary of State explained that Chile is "respectful of international law" and that our country turned to the International Court of Justice to "avoid legal uncertainty".
He also reiterated that "there is nothing pending between Chile and Bolivia, because all border issues were definitively settled more than 110 years ago, in the Treaty of 1904 that established in a permanent and definitive way the borders between the two countries". He also recalled that thanks to this Treaty, Bolivia has "real and effective access to the sea, which guarantees the broadest and freest transit through the territory of our country and the ports authorized to do so".
At the conclusion of his speech, Minister Muñoz called for respect and openness to dialogue, because otherwise "we will remain anchored in the past and we will never do what corresponds as two neighbouring countries, which is to look at an agenda hopefully shared", he concluded.
Previously questioned by President Morales in Bolivia, the Foreign Minister recalled that "what happens is that Bolivia has a problem with the 1904 Treaty, has always sought to revise or disregard it, and that is what is behind the maritime lawsuit in The Hague. It is a kind of makeup for the alleged ignorance of the pact that Chile and Bolivia signed in 1904 to set the borders in a final and perpetual manner. So, we will respond to Bolivia in due course, if that is necessary".
He also spoke to the press about the situation in Venezuela, where he said that Chile's position is clear: "We are concerned about what is happening there, including the humanitarian situation, and we have said that an effective dialogue between the government and the opposition is necessary, with concrete results and within a reasonable time frame. That is why we have supported the efforts of former Presidents Zapatero, Torrijos and Fernández to reach an agreement within the respect for democracy and human rights that includes all constitutional and peaceful instruments, including the revocatory referendum".
The national delegation was also made up of the Ambassador of Chile to the organization, Juan Pablo Lira, the Ambassador of Chile to the Dominican Republic, Fernando Barrera and the Ambassador in Special Mission, Gabriel Gaspar.