( CNN ) -- Costa Rica has taken its border dispute with Nicaragua to international court , repeating claims that its territory has been invaded . In a statement Thursday , Costa Rica 's foreign ministry said the country had filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice in The Hague , Netherlands , to end a situation that `` threatens imminent and irreparable harm '' to Costa Rica . The suit asks the court to stop `` the construction of a canal on Costa Rican soil , '' according to the statement . Tensions between Nicaragua and Costa Rica have flared over Calero Island , a parcel of land on the Atlantic coast . Nicaragua denies its troops are in Costa Rican territory . Costa Rica claims it has been invaded . Costa Rica claims that in addition to the Nicaraguan troops , a dredging project in the river is dumping sediment on its side of the border , and that a Costa Rican flag in the area was replaced with a Nicaraguan flag . Nicaragua has accused Costa Rica of breaking diplomatic relations between the countries . Also Thursday , the Organization of American States approved a resolution convening a meeting of ministers of foreign affairs to discuss the situation on December 7 .
Costa Rica 's foreign ministry says the situation `` threatens imminent and irreparable harm '' to both countries.