Caricom foreign ministers meeting on the fringes of the UN General Assembly in New York have restated their support for Guyana’s territorial integrity but were non-committal on this country’s call for a juridical settlement of the long-running border controversy with Venezuela.
In a statement issued yesterday, but which did not say on which day the meeting was held, the Caricom foreign ministers simply noted that Guyana had called for a juridical settlement. This call by Guyana is now the lynchpin of its relations with Venezuela and Georgetown would have been expecting unequivocal support for this stance from Caricom. Venezuela does not support the move for a juridical settlement.
Observers say the lack of clear backing for Guyana’s position is another sign of erosion that Venezuelan petroleum largesse has made in Caricom solidarity with Guyana on the border controversy.
Ties between Venezuela and several Caricom countries have deepened considerably in the Caracas-led alternative economic and political bloc ALBA. Correspondingly, Guyana has had a more difficult time persuading fellow Caricom countries to back its positions on Venezuela. Caracas has also sent delegations to Caricom countries – some headed by Venezuelan President Nicolés Maduro himself – seeking support for Venezuela’s stance.
According to the Caricom press release, Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge briefed the Council for Foreign Ministers of the Caribbean Community (COFCOR), which met on the fringes of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York, on the recent developments with respect to the territorial controversy with Venezuela.
It said COFCOR underscored the need for the Caribbean to be maintained as a zone of peace and welcomed the trilateral meeting convened by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with President David Granger and Maduro.
Pointing to the decision by Venezuela to return its ambassador to Guyana and to grant agrément to Guyana’s ambassador-designate to Venezuela Cheryl Miles, the ministers noted that these two decisions would set a firm basis for the return of full-fledged diplomatic relations between Guyana and Venezuela.
The release said COFCOR was especially pleased at the decision of Venezuela to receive, within the shortest possible time, the Technical Team from the United Nations Secretariat which is conducting a desk review in order to provide recommendations to the Secretary General on the way forward in the search for a full and final solution to the Guyana/ Venezuela territorial controversy regarding the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award. It was noted that the decision to receive the Technical Team in Caracas will hasten the efforts aimed at bringing that controversy to an early end.
However, the Caricom foreign ministers merely noted that Guyana called for a juridical solution to the controversy “given the divergence of views between the two sides about the validity and nullity of the Arbitral Award of 3rd October 1899.”
The release said they reaffirmed their support for the maintenance of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Guyana.
