A mediator appointed by the Organisation of American States to defuse a maritime border dispute between Honduras and Nicaragua has expressed optimism following a meeting between the two countries in Washington.

The dispute began when Honduras recognised Colombian sovereignty over an area in the Caribbean claimed by Nicaragua.

In a BBC interview, the mediator, Luigi Einaudi, said both countries remained committed to a peaceful solution, adding that, though differences remained, there had been progress on the creation of a military exclusion zone intended to avert the possibility of armed conflict.

Punitive trade sanctions imposed in retaliation by Nicaragua on Honduran goods were declared illegal by the Central American Court of Justice on Thursday. Both countries are to meet again in three weeks in El Salvador.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service