The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague said in its judgment on Monday that the arguments presented by Bolivia referring to bilateral agreements do not create a legal obligation for Chile to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean.
BRUSSELS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st October, 2018) The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague said in its judgment on Monday that the arguments presented by Bolivia referring to bilateral agreements do not create a legal obligation for Chile to negotiate access to the Pacific Ocean.
"The Court concludes that none of the above instruments invoked by Bolivia establishes an obligation on Chile to negotiate Bolivia's sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean," the court said.
Bolivian President Evo Morales said that his country would never give up its right to restore access to the Pacific in the territorial dispute with Chile.
"I welcome the call of the International Court of Justice to continue the dialogue and I want to take this opportunity: Bolivia will never give up the fight against being locked. The Bolivian people and the peoples of the world know that we were deprived of sovereign access to the Pacific through an invasion," Morales said after the court announced its decision.
The long-standing territorial dispute between Bolivia and Chile about access to the Pacific Ocean dates back to the nineteenth century. Bolivia lost the coast Department of Litoral (now known as the Antofagasta region) in 1884 as a result of the War of the Pacific (also known as the Saltpeter War), in which it was defeated by Chile. Bolivia has sought regaining access to the Pacific Ocean since 2013.
