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The Prime minister addressed them both leading off with offshore exploration generally. He said he welcomes the robust debate but the proposed ban seems premature, because Belize is at least two years away from offshore drilling,

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I don't know that there can be any immediacy about any issue that you can raise since as I said just yesterday the authorities confirmed to me there can be no possibility of offshore drilling within the next two years. I accept that the debate that has well and truly started is extremely relevant, is extremely important. I encourage it. The government will continue to do its homework in trying to gather all the information that's necessary but I am telling you that there is no need for any hasty decision because there is not any prospect of any offshore drilling taking place or any drilling between the reef and the mainland - as some people have expressed fears about - anytime soon. Let's assume we decide after the right cost benefit analysis that deep offshore ought to continue, there are EIAs to get through, there are environmental compliance plans to be worked out, the whole question of monitoring the whole question of what the companies if they are given the green light would have to do to ensure that as far as is humanly possible nothing would go wrong."

Isani Cayetano, Reporter - Channel 5 News
"And the issue is over a Guatemalan company being given rights to prospect for oil off the cost of Belize in Belizean territory."

PM Dean Barrow
"Is it suggested that this government gave that company?"

Isani Cayetano
"She did not make that suggestion but that's the long and short of it."

PM Dean Barrow
"Well, anything that's relevant will have to be considered before they can be any drilling."

Isani Cayetano
"If it is found out that the owners of this particular company in question are indeed Guatemalans, it brings into question territorial sovereignty and what have you in light of the claim. What does the administration plan to do in that regard."

PM Dean Barrow
"I don't see how that could bring it to question territorial sovereignty If a company is operating in Belize as a matter of a permit given by Belizean authorities and that company happens to be majority owned by Guatemalan citizens, there is no connection between that and territorial integrity."

Alfonso Noble, Reporter - Guardian Newspaper
"The issue here Prime Minister is that they are saying that the block that has been given to them includes the Sapodilla Caye range which is in particular one of the hot button issues in the Guatemalan Territorial claim."

PM Dean Barrow
"But again, the mere fact that the government, not this particular administration but an administration that was legitimate government of Belize gave rights of exploration over the Sapodilla is a function of Sovereignty is proof positive that the government even then was clear that this country owns the Sapodilla range. You can't purport to be given a license for activity over territory that you don't own. So I fail to see how this would in any sense retard the case of Belizean Sovereignty."

Jules Vasquez
"But isn't it tantamount to ceding of territory?"

PM Dean Barrow
"How can that be, you are saying I give you the right because of your expertise to come and explore for oil on my territory. You didn't come in unbidden, you didn't come in unasked, you didn't come in by force, you didn't come in on the basis that you claim that you have a right to come in because the territory belongs to your country, no you ask permission, you applied, you conceded that you were seeking a permit to come on to Belizean territory so I think that's really the end of it."