Bolivian President Evo Morales has called on the Organization of American States to hold an emergency meeting over his landlocked country's claim on maritime territory held by Chile.
President Morales Thursday told a crowd gathered in La Paz that his government would like to talk to the OAS Secretary-General, Chilean Jose Miguel Insulza, about the matter. Mr. Morales invited Insulza to La Paz to discuss the issue.
The two neighboring countries broke off diplomatic relations in 1978 following the long-standing dispute over access to the Pacific Ocean that Bolivia lost to Chile in 1879.
Despite the dispute, President Morales attended the inauguration of Chilean President Michelle Bachelet earlier this month. Her predecessor, Ricardo Lagos, traveled to Bolivia for Mr. Morales' inauguration ceremony in January.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
