La Paz, July 30 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Bolivian President Evo Morales said Wednesday he agrees to re-establish diplomatic relations with Chile in order to gain eventual access to the Pacific Ocean. Morales said he hopes Pope Francis will become the guarantor in bridging relations between the two countries.
 

In his visit to Bolivia three weeks ago, Pope Francis had called on the two countries to return to dialogue to break 37 years of stalemate. As for the participation of the Pope in the dialogue process, Morales said he will "make the arrangements with the Vatican so that Pope Francis can become a guarantor."

Morales further requested his Chilean counterpart, Michelle Bachelet , to also join the petition for the Pope's participation. "We expect a positive response seeing and overcoming problems of two brotherly countries, neighbors, Chile and Bolivia, to work together for our people," he said.

In April 2013, Bolivia presented a demand to the International Court of Justice seeking a ruling that would compel Chile to negotiate the restoration of access to the sea, which it lost in a war in 1879.