Guyana’s policy towards Venezuela is premised on the principle of good neighbourly relations, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett says.
Responding orally to a question posed by Member of Parliament, Aubrey Norton, at Wednesday’s sitting of the National Assembly, Rodrigues-Birkett said that Guyana’s policy has not changed much from what it was in the past. She said that the country’s policy with Venezuela is aimed at ensuring closer relations and cooperation based on mutual respect, the tenets of international law and the fostering of deeper understanding at both the formal and informal level.
Asked about the ministry’s strategic plan, the Minister noted that the plan is an expression of the goals and objectives to be achieved over a period of four years and it gives focus to the ministry’s work and benchmarks for meeting their goals and objectives in keeping with Government’s foreign policy.
The plan is being continuously reviewed and implemented, she said, stating that this depends on priority, existing realities and the availability of resources. She emphasized that there are things that might be rejected at one time that might be reviewed at another time depending on the changes or amendments to Guyana’s foreign policy. “There are various aspects that we are working on and it depends on our priorities and also the resources at our disposal”, she asserted.