At the third meeting of Colombia and Nicaragua, in The Hague, to present oral hearings related to the “delimitation of the continental shelf” between the two countries, “beyond 200 nautical miles from the Nicaraguan coast”; the defense of Managua said that its claims do not affect third parties.
During his speech, Carlos Argüello, Nicaragua’s main representative before the court, justified that the delimitation does not affect other nations, noting that Colombia has also negotiated with some countries, which are also neighbors, including Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica and Honduras.
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“This treaty is a similar situation in the delimitation currently sought by Nicaragua,” he argued, adding that “it could not affect this situation of third parties,” referring to the argument presented by the Colombian defense, on Tuesday, stating that Nicaragua’s maritime claim could affect other countries.
He cited, for example, the past delimitation between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, which, according to his arguments, did not affect Panamanian interests.
He also argued that the Central American country is not asking the Court to affect the rights of other states and that the country respects its limits.
“Nicaragua has offered these countries that have treaties with Colombia, particularly Jamaica and Panama, that Nicaragua is willing to maintain and respect the limits that they established with Colombia,” explained the defender.
last hearing
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the Bogotá defense team, led by agent Eduardo Valencia-Ospina and co-agents Carolina Olarte Bácares and Elizabeth Taylor, is concentrating on fine-tuning the final details for their country’s closing arguments, which will be held on Friday.
“Colombia will insist that there are no rules under customary international law that allow a State to supersede its claims to an extended continental shelf over the exclusive economic zone of another State,” the Colombian Foreign Ministry said.
Taylor said, through a video presented by the Foreign Ministry, that Colombia has already presented its arguments in response to the questions formulated by the Court and “we are preparing for the last part, the last phase.”
He added that they are “satisfied with the work of the entire team that has been one hundred percent concentrated on the defense, on making solid arguments, on preparing all the details that are necessary to make the interventions before the Court,” he added.
This week, both countries are responding to the court’s request regarding two questions: the criteria defined by international law to determine the delimitation of the territorial sea, beyond 200 nautical miles from a country, and the determination of the baselines , from which the territorial sea is measured, beyond the 200 miles claimed by Nicaragua.
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