Chile defends maritime limits with Peru at Int'l Court of Justice

Chile on Tuesday gave its answer to Peru's demand submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2009 about the maritime limits between the two countries.

In its request to the ICJ in 2009, Peru demanded modification of its maritime limits with Chile in its favor and recover some 35,000 square km of territory that are under Chilean sovereignty.

Chile opposes Peru's requirement according to the treaties signed between the two countries in 1952 and 1954, which defined the maritime limits between the two nations. But Peru claims that those treaties are fishing agreements which only concern the limits of fishing areas.

Chile's response came one day before the deadline for responding to Peru's demand, and it was presented to the ICJ by Chilean representative Alberto Van Klaveren.

Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez stressed that "the answer was reached with wide national unity as well as the support of the state's institutions, advisors and collaborators.

"In the answer, we refute with strong arguments Peru's pretensions, and a great amount of precedents have shown the non-discussed existence of the maritime limits between Chile and Peru," Fernandez said, without giving further details.

He said that the ties between Chile and Peru "are based on permanent principles and values, which the Chilean government reaffirms on this occasion."

Fernandez added that Chile's foreign policy is based on good-neighborly, pacific and constructive principles.

Source: Xinhua