Peruvian Foreign Minister Jose Garcia Belaunde said Friday he was satisfied with the first meeting by representatives of Peru and Chile at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague over the boundary dispute.
Garcia Belaunde said both sides agreed that the trial should proceed by following a prudent schedule to solve Peru's petition, presented to the ICJ in mid January over its maritime delimitation with Chile.
The head of the international court Rosalyn Higgins expressed concern over the progress of the lawsuit and said he hoped the lawsuit would not take too long, the minister said.
"The court's prestige is on the line, although nobody questions its honor, its slowness is sometimes questioned, this concern is going to influence the decision," said Garcia Belaunde.
Meanwhile, Chilean Foreign Minister Alejandro Foxley reiterated Friday his government's confidence on the ongoing lawsuit triggered by Peru's maritime demand.
"We are extraordinarily calm on this issue; the work plan is very clear and Chile's juridical thesis is as solid as always," Foxely told the press at The Hague.
At stake are some 14,630 square miles (37,900 sq km) of waters between the two countries that have been under Chile's control since bilateral maritime agreements in the 1950s.
Peru has repeatedly asked Chile for a re-demarcation of their maritime boundary, but was rejected by the latter who argues that the boundary has long been established since the two countries signed accords in the 1950s.
Source: Xinhua
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