Tomorrow’s planned meeting between President Irfaan Ali and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolás Maduro in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), is scheduled to take place at the Argyle International Airport for security and diplomatic reasons, sources say.
At the meeting brokered by SVG Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, leaders confirmed to attend are CARICOM Chairman and Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit along with Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Keith Rowley.
Brazilian President, Luis Inacio ‘Lula’ Da Silva was expected to be there, but instead will send that country’s former Foreign Minister and current Presidential Advisor on International affairs, Celso Amorim, the Brazilian press yesterday reported. Amorim had visited Venezuela last month and had raised the Guyana issue, according to the Brazilian President.
CARICOM Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett has not yet confirmed attendance, according to sources.
Also expected at the meeting is Courtenay Rattray, a Jamaican diplomat who is the United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, and current Chef de Cabinet to the United Nations Secretary-General.
Officials in Guyana told Stabroek News that President Ali’s delegation would not immediately be made public because of security and other reasons.
President Ali has said that he was going to the meeting with an open mind, in the interest of peace in the region, but stressed that the border and ICJ case were off the table.
“We don’t live in a region by ourselves. We have respect for our bilateral partners, our regional partners. I have made very clear, our position. We are a peaceful country. Our only ambition is to protect what belongs to us and we have absolutely no difficulty in meeting with any of our neighbours,” Ali told reporters following the commissioning of the Heroes’ Highway, on Sunday.
“We continue to talk about development, to work as neighbours, co-exist as neighbours and ensure this region remains a region of peace, a region of stability. Our regional partners requested of us to have this conversation. We outlined very clearly where we stand in relation to the controversy and have made it clear we are not averse to talking.”
He emphasised that the nation should rest assured that he will not deviate from his plans and that “100 per cent” there will be no talks on border matters.
The President said that he couldn’t be clearer that this country holds firm that it wants the matter settled.
The meeting was brokered by the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the sub-regional Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
