Government’s recent criticism of Dr Janette Bulkan is in order to ensure that the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Guyana is preserved, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Ministry said that this is a totally justifiable position since although Bulkan was not physically present at the October 2009 meeting of the FCPF (Forest Carbon Partnership Facility of the World Bank), she did review the Suriname Readiness Preparation Proposal (RPP) which contained a map purported to be representing Suriname’s boundaries but which insultingly included the entire New River Triangle. Further, for an objective evaluation of the RPP to have been done, any reviewer would have had to peruse the map, the Ministry said.

It stated that a letter to the World Bank by Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who has responsibility for the Forestry Sector, could in no way be termed a “clandestine deed”.  At the October 2009 meeting in Washington, DC, USA the Commissioner of Forests publicly expressed objection to the continued use of this map by Suriname; further, he expressed disappointment that even though one of the reviewers of Suriname’s RPP was a Guyanese, it was unfortunate that she did not see it fit to object to Suriname using a map that included sovereign Guyanese territory, the statement said. It pointed out that this was done publicly at the World Bank meeting, immediately after Suriname’s presentation and the Minister’s letter to the Bank was to formalize Government’s position on this matter.

The statement said that Government maintains its position that Bulkan on a continuous basis has been publicly and negatively misrepresenting the issues in Guyana’s forest sector.  It charged that she “does a national disservice by publicly manipulating and distorting facts to pursue her narrow agenda” adding that many of her statements bordered on political discourse rather than strict technical opinion.The ministry said that Government welcomes positive contributions and informed discourses on all matter of national importance but will not sit idly by and allow either any individual or forum to undermine the nation’s sovereignty.

Responding to a recent statement by the Alliance for Change (AFC), carried in this newspaper under the headline ‘AFC denounces gov’t attack on Janette Bulkan,’ the Ministry charged that the statement is another example of that party seeking to get political mileage “even if it means treating lightly the issue of our national sovereignty.”

Further, the ministry said it is being supportive of Suriname’s efforts contrary to what the AFC is implying. It said that Guyana has shared all of its policy and technical documentation inclusive of forest policy documents and sustainable management guidelines with Suriname. Guyana has also facilitated training in Reduced Impact Logging to Surinamese, both in Suriname and Guyana.