Guatemala hopes for better relations with Belize after vote on territorial dispute

Guatemala's government on Thursday applauded a referendum vote in Belize in favour of sending the countries' long-running territorial dispute to a top U.N. court, saying the move will help deepen bilateral relations between the two neighbours.

The Guatemalan foreign ministry said in a statement that it would immediately contact the foreign ministry of Belize to agree on the next steps in efforts to resolve the dispute, which dates back to the colonial era.

(With inputs from agencies.)