The Ministerial Advisory Committee established on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy met yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
There has been heightened activity in recent weeks related to the controversy. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has accepted Guyana’s application that it assert jurisdiction to enable a juridical settlement of the controversy. The ICJ is to convene a case management hearing on the matter shortly.
In the aftermath of the ICJ ruling, Venezuela has ratcheted up tensions by issuing a decree purporting to establish control over the maritime area adjacent to Guyana’s Essequibo Coast. This move has been firmly rejected by the Guyana Government. Guyana has also mounted a diplomatic offensive over this latest move by Caracas. The committee is chaired by Hugh Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and co-chaired by Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance. During the meeting, the legal team updated the committee on the upcoming ICJ case management and other related matters.