VI observations on only the procedural matters which they had expressed the wish 6 to address in their letter dated 1 March 2016. Thus, when the second Counsel for the Applicant wanted to speak on the issue of the Respondent State's withdrawal of its declaration, the President did not allow her to do so, justifYing the refusal by saying that the issue could not be regarded as one of the "procedural matters" which the Counsel had requested to speak about in her letter of 1 March 2016, since the withdrawal of the declaration was brought to 7 the latter's notice only after the aforementioned date. 25. The same Counsel insisted, saying that she had understood that the President would allow her to speak on that particular issue even though the said 8 issue was new. The President responded that he had perhaps actually given that impression at the meeting they had held in his office prior to the public hearing, but that immediately afterwards, the Court decided, in a private session, to hear the Counsels for the Applicant only on matters of procedure about which the latter had expressed the wish to speak as at the time they wrote their letter of 1 March 2016. 9 Counsel for the Applicant then expressed the hope that the opportunity would arise in future to pronounce herself in writing or orally on 10 this issue which she considers important. "We received your communication in which you said that you were going to address us on procedural matters. We did not understand what those are here. So if you could tell us what these procedural matters are and then we shall make our decision", Public Hearing of 4 March 2016, Verbatim Records (Original English), p. 3, lines 16-18. 6 "Excuse me Doctor, all that we wanted to hear today, this morning is what you had requested us and that is to discuss procedural matters on the 4th of March. Some of these things which you are dealing with are matters which have come to your knowledge after you had written to us", Public Hearing of 4'h March 2016, Verbatim Records (Original English), p. 8, lines 15-18. 7 "Mr. President, I had understood from earlier on, maybe just my mistake, that we could also address you on this farticular issue even if it is new. I thought we could address you on that", 1 Public Hearing of 4 March 2016, Verbatim Records (Original English), p. 8, line 22-24. 8 "Well, I might have given you that feeling when I was briefing you but when we Judges discussed the matter just before we came into the Court, we thought that no; we just hear you on the procedural matters as you had asked for", Public Hearing of 4'h March 2016, Verbatim Records (Original English), p. 8 lines 26-29. 9 "I am guided Mr. President, I hope at some point that in writing or orally before you, I hope we will have an opportunity to address you on it because it is very important to this 1 case", Public Hearing of 4 h March 2016, Verbatim Records (Original English), p. 9, lines 110 3.