The maritime pact signed this month for joint patrols between Guyana and the US will see personnel from the two countries being placed on each other’s vessels.
In an interview with Stabroek News yesterday via Zoom, US Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch said that the Shiprider agreement is really a reactivation and endorsement of an agreement already agreed to many years ago but never entered into force. It is to this end she said that it now opens up a new partnership on the maritime security front.
“Specifically, the US Coast Guard and the Guyanese Coast Guard can do joint patrols. So, for example, if there is another ship in Guyanese waters and it is potentially suspected of carrying illegal illicit goods, such as drugs, minerals, weapons, anything of that nature, then they can pursue the ship together. That can mean the Guyanese military person joins the US Coast Guard and vice versa. They will work together in order to pursue this effort… There is an element that can provide for training, specifically for the military personnel, of course, and on the job as they are actually doing their work… It will also allow the Guyanese shipmen to observe what the US Coast Guard shipmen are doing and it is kinda bit of on-the-job training, if you will and a transfer of some skills along with the security efforts itself,” the US envoy explained.
“This is very important because as Guyana is on the cusp of change as everybody knows, everybody is looking at Guyana right now. A lot [of persons/companies] want to do quality partnerships but there are a lot of bad actors as well [that may try] to take advantage. So it is important to improve the overall security and focus on maritime security to have this entered into,” she added.
Lynch also said both sides are currently exploring the possibility of Guyana being the recipient of hardware, such as patrol boats.
“There has been some discussions about that in the past and there has been the transfer of some hardware in the past, so are exploring the future of that. This agreement is specifically the patrolling of the seas,” she stressed.
In the interview, Lynch was asked if Washington accepts that Guyana cannot be drawn into any confrontation that might arise between the US and Venezuela given the country’s ongoing border controversy case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). She said her country is aware of the issue as she elaborated on the Shiprider agreement signed earlier this month during the visit of US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and which has already taken effect.
“As you may know, we very much support and will defend the 1899 Arbitral Decision that puts the Guyanese border squarely where it is today. We are awaiting the ICJ decision on jurisdiction. We fully expect that they will take jurisdiction and then we anticipate that they will rule in favour, in upholding that 1899 decision,” she told Stabroek News.
“This is in no way meant to get in the way of that very long process. This is just meant to take advantage of the opportunity and the request, frankly, from the Government of Guyana, to increase our assistance in the maritime area to improve and enhance maritime security, both for Guyana and the US. We are in the same neighbourhood, if you will, and so enhanced security in the Guyanese seas enhances our own security,” she added.
President Irfaan Ali has said that he does not believe that the agreement will put this country at risk of Venezuelan aggression or negatively impact its border controversy case.
“That should not be any fear because the agreement points out specifically about the modus operandi that has to take place before the engagement and the involvement of the Government of Guyana and we are not involved in that and this agreement is to help us in our sovereignty issue; it will help us automatically if we have greater assets in the water but it also gives us that ability to protect our Exclusive Economic Zone [EEZ],” Ali had told reporters at State House, Georgetown following the signing of the agreement with Pompeo.
“No, I don’t see that putting us at a risk. As a matter of fact, it helps us in capacity building, it helps us in technology transfer, it helps us with assets to protect our [EEZ] against drug traffickers, narco-traffickers,” he also said.
Pompeo had also dismissed suggestions that the Donald Trump administration is using the agreement as a means to oust the Nicolas Maduro government. He said that he came to Guyana following an invitation from the government and to congratulate Guyanese on ensuring a democratic election process was realized.
The United States has said that it was grateful for the David Granger APNU+AFC’s support on Venezuela in the Lima Group and hopes that the PPP/C will continue to call for declarations of the Group to be adhered to.
Twelve countries initially signed the Lima Group declaration in 2017: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru. Guyana, Saint Lucia, Bolivia and Haiti joined later.
“On Venezuela, as you brought it up, we are very grateful for the assistance in the Lima Group, not just this administration but the last administration as well was very strong in the Lima Group; speaking out for the need for Venezuela to adhere to democratic principles and the rule of law and for the elections, an actual election, to be called. We expect for this administration to be just as strong in the Lima Group, calling out for those principles to be adhered to,” Ambassador Lynch said.
