Chile and Peru see end to old differences as Hague verdict nears

Peru's President Ollanta Humala leads a National Security Council during a meeting at the Government Palace in Lima, in this January 20, 2014 handout courtesy of the Peruvian Presidency. REUTERS/Peruvian Presidency/Handout via Reuters

SANTIAGO/LIMA (Reuters) - A decades-old maritime dispute between Chile and Peru goes to a final ruling next week with both governments hoping it will end one of Latin America's last big border spats and improve ties between the two trading partners and longtime rivals.

On Monday, the International Court of Justice in the Hague will rule on Peru's claim over 38,000 square kilometres of Pacific Ocean that Chile controls, as well as a claim over a slice of international waters.