Negotiators from the country and a neighboring state will sit down again next week, after a meeting in Riverton on Thursday ended with a handshake and an agreement to keep talking. Both sides described the session as the most productive in more than a year.
The talks cover two practical issues that have soured relations for a decade: shipping rules on the river that forms part of the border, and a cross-border rail link that was planned, funded and then frozen. The next round is set for Tuesday, again in the capital.
A change of tone
The meeting took place in the foreign ministry’s main reception hall, where the two lead envoys shook hands for photographers before the doors closed. Officials from both delegations said the atmosphere inside was “businesslike” — a notable shift after earlier rounds that ended without a joint statement.
We did not solve everything in two hours, and nobody expected to. But for the first time, we left the room with the same list of open questions.
Clara Brennan, the country’s lead negotiator
Her counterpart, envoy Andrej Novak, told reporters that his government was ready to discuss a shared inspection regime for cargo boats, one of the main sticking points. Shipping companies on both sides have complained that duplicate checks can add a full day to a single trip.
What is on the table
According to a draft agenda seen by News., next week’s session will focus on three points:
- a single inspection point for river cargo near Port Alden’s inland terminal
- a timetable to restart construction on the rail link
- a joint commission to settle future disputes
The rail project is the more sensitive issue. Around 40 kilometers of track have already been laid on the country’s side, but work stopped when the two governments disagreed over who would pay for a bridge.
Cautious reactions
In the National Assembly, the governing Civic Union welcomed the progress. The opposition Progress Party said it would wait to see the text of any agreement before giving its support.
“Handshakes are cheap. The bridge is not,” said Lukas Ferreira, a regional policy analyst at Elmbridge University. “But a second meeting within a week tells you both sides want something to show for it.”
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