With the assertive resurgence of Venezuela’s territorial claim having attracted considerable hemispheric and regional media attention in recent weeks, Guyana’s remaining immediate neighbours, Brazil and Suriname, would appear to have opted for a course of action which a recent Reuters report says seeks to “deepen discussions on cooperation in the oil and gas sector.” One of the more significant outcomes of these engagements, the Reuters report says, has been signals that relations between and among the three South American countries may be in the process of strengthening on account of their shared petro interests, The recent diplomatic legwork between the three countries would appear to be part of the recent blitz of high profile engagements in which the government of Guyana has been involved, not least the staging of high-profile international gatherings including the country’s now globally known annual international Oil and Gas/Investment-related gatherings. This year, Georgetown also played host to the meeting of CARICOM Heads as well as the staging of a key Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) forum held against the backdrop of food security challenges currently facing the region.
While Guyana’s President, Irfaan Ali, has reportedly voiced expectations of closer relations between the Brazilian oil company, Petrobras, and Guyana’s oil interests, President ‘Lula’ Da Sliva is reported to have undertaken to engage Petrobras regarding possible partnerships with Guyana. The Reuters report specifically alluded to the commitment of Guyana, Brazil and Suriname to work “unceasingly” towards the maintenance of peace in the region, a commitment that was almost certainly intended to reflect the two countries’ [Guyana and Brazil] awareness of the recent resurgence of Venezuela’s territorial claim.
One of the positives that would have derived from the recent interaction among Georgetown, Paramaribo and Suriname is an enhanced awareness of the extant political environment in the region as a whole and an awareness of the importance and strengthening links in the various areas of petro cooperation whilst remaining mindful of the importance of acting in a manner that would continually reduce such tensions as might have arisen in the wake of Venezuela’s recent actions.
