746 



ernment of the United States that its legal position respecting Article 

 1 of that Treaty is as follows : 



The physical status of Quita Sueno is not incompatible with the 

 exercise of sovereignty. In the view of the Government of the Repub- 

 lic of Colombia, the stipulations of the Treaty between Colombia and 

 Nicaragua of March 24, 1928, and the Protocol of exchange of rati- 

 fications of May 10, 1930, recognized Colombia's sovereignty over the 

 islands, islets, and cays that make up the Archipelago of San Andres 

 and Providencia east of the 82nd meridian of Greenwich, with the 

 exception of the csljs of Roncador, Quita Sueno, and Serrana, the 

 sovereignty of which was in dispute between the United States and 

 the Republic of Colombia. Therefore, with the renunciation of sover- 

 eignty by the United States over Quita Sueilo, Roncador, and Ser- 

 rana, the Republic of Colombia is the only legitimate title holder on 

 those banks or cays, in accordance with ithe aforementioned instru- 

 ments and international law. 



The Government of Colombia understands the legal position of the 

 Government of the United States to be as follows : 



Quita Sueno, being permanently submerged at high tide, is at the 

 present time not subject to the exercise of sovereignty. The Goveru:- 

 ment of the United States notes that the 1928 Treaty and Protocol 

 between the Government of Colombia and the Government of Nica- 

 ragua specifically provide that the Treaty does not apply to Quita 

 Sueno, Roncador, and Serrana, sovereignty over which was recognized 

 as being in dispute between Colombia and the United States. The Gov- 

 ernment of the United States further notes that under the terms of 

 its exchange of notes with the Government of Colombia on April 10, 

 1928, it was recognized at that time that sovereignty over Quita Sueno 

 was claimed by the Governments of both Colombia and the United 

 States and it was agreed that the status quo in respect of that matter 

 should be maintained. 



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses to the Embassy of the 

 United States of America its high consideration. 



AVC. 



[Exchange of Notes Concerning Fishing Rights] 



(No. 692) 



Embassy of the United States of America, 



Bogota, Septemler 8, 1972, 

 His Excellency, Dr. Alfredo Vazquez Carrizosa, 

 Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Colombia, 



Excellency: In comiection with the signing today of a treaty be- 

 tween the Governments of the Republic of Colombia and the United 

 States of America, I have the honor to convey to you the following 

 understandings of my Government : 



1. With respect to Article 2 of that treaty, both governments agree 

 they will exchange views periodically on the desirability of bilateral or 

 multilateral action of a conservation nature. 



2. With respect to Article 3 of the treaty, it is understood by both 

 governments that the fishing activities of nationals and vessels of the 

 United States will be subject to reasonable conservation measures ap- 

 plied by the Government of the Republic of Colombia to all fishermen 

 permitted to fish within the present fishing zone adjacent to the cays 

 on Roncador and Serrana. The Government of the Republic of Co- 



