Managua, Dec. 6 — “We are willing to pay (Costa Rica). We just want to clarify the accounts they are charging us” for US$6 million, said Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, after receiving the credentials from the new Costa Rican ambassador to Nicaragua, Eduardo Trejos.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague resolved on December 6, 2015 that Portillos Island, a three square kilometer stretch near to the countries’ common border, is Costa Rican sovereign territory and Nicaragua must pay their neighbors for damages caused to the island’s wetlands.

The ruling decided a lawsuit filed by Costa Rica in 2010 against Nicaragua, and states that if the two countries can not agree on the amount of compensation within one year, the Court will set the amount.

Nicaragua “is going to honor the ruling of the Court and will pay Costa Rica”, but “there are some details to be adjusted” regarding compensation, said the Nicaraguan leader.

Ortega told the new Costa Rican ambassador of his desire to stabilize relations with his country, regardless of the border disputes that both countries have filed in the international court.

I hope “we can have good relations, because we have to admit that we have not managed to maintain diplomatic relations,” which are currently focused on trade and security issues, Ortega said.

“Nicaragua has infinite goodwill that our relations will be more fraternal … there is no reason for us to have distance between our governments and peoples,” he said.

Ortega also expressed interest in visiting his Costa Rican counterpart Guillermo Solís in the future to improve bilateral relations.

The international court is currently studying a claim filed by Costa Rica in 2014 against Nicaragua regarding delimiting the countries’ maritime border in the Caribbean and the Pacific. – ACAN EFE