In Barbados, President David Granger today briefed UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over Venezuela’s recent maritime decree that aims to appropriate maritime zones of Guyana and other Caricom countries.
The Secretary General is in Barbados for the Caricom Heads of Government conference which has been overshadowed by the Venezuelan maritime decree after Granger spoke at length about it during his inaugural address to Heads yesterday.
GINA said that Granger informed the Secretary General of Venezuela’s latest aggression towards Guyana which has now contaminated relations with the entire Eastern Caribbean.
GINA said that Granger also told the UN Secretary General that the Good Officer process inquiring into the longstanding border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela had been exhausted. UN Secretaries General preside over the Good Officer process. GINA said that Ki-moon’s response was that a mission will be appointed and sent to Guyana with the aim of addressing the matter from a more in-depth and informed platform.
Granger also stated that his administration will stand ready to receive the UN mission when the time arises to deal with the issue.
“We expect the UN Secretary General to play an important role in reducing the level of tension and to support Guyana in having the decree withdrawn”, GINA reported Granger as saying.
It said that the two men and their teams met for a brief engagement at the Hilton Hotel.