By NNN-Prensa Latina
La-Paz : The Bolivian government lauded the support expressed by Chilean senators, who were on a visit here, for the country’s demand for access to the sea.
According to Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca, the Chilean parliamentary delegation stand, headed by Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Roberto Muñoz Barra, is part of a new stage of bilateral relations between the two countries.
Choquehuanca described the support as a step forward in the possibility of granting Bolivia a corridor in the north of Arica or a territorial enclave in Iquique.
Bolivia’s access to the sea was snatched by Peru during the Pacific War (1879-1884).
Bolivia broke diplomatic relations with Chile in 1978, after a failed reproachement between General Augusto Pinochet and Dictator Hugo Banzer, who were the de facto presidents of the two countries at the time.
After President Evo Morales (Bolivia) and Michelle Bachelet (Chile) took office, a new stage in bilateral relations opened for the two countries, Choquehuanca added.
He noted that the 13-item on the bilateral agenda was signed by the two heads of State, in which included the issue of Bolivia’s access to the sea.