Bolivia sends formal proposal to re-establish diplomatic relations with Chile

President Evo Morales (AFP/VNA)

On August 4, Bolivian President Evo Morales confirmed that his country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send an official proposal to Chile on re-establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries, which have been interrupted since 1962 (except for the period 1975-1978) due to disputes over access to the sea.

Bolivia's leftist leader initiated the move in a speech last week but stressed that re-establishing bilateral diplomatic relations must be accompanied by a definitive solution to the issue of Bolivia's sovereign access to the sea.

During his recent trip to South America, Pope Francis urged the two neighboring countries to resume formal relations to promote regional integration. Santiago later expressed its readiness for this step with the view of "no preconditions," which La Paz opposed because it believed that the relationship between the two sides broke down due to a dispute over access to the sea and could not be resumed without resolving this issue. Although there are no formal diplomatic relations, Bolivia and Chile still maintain consulates general in Santiago and La Paz.

During the War of the Pacific (1879-1883), Bolivia lost its entire 400km coastline and 120,000km2 of coastal provinces to Chile.

In the bilateral peace treaty signed in 1904, Chile guaranteed Bolivia sovereign access to the sea in exchange for La Paz recognizing Santiago's sovereignty over the lost lands, but the two sides still argue about how to interpret these terms./.

(According to AFP, VNA/ VN+)