Guyana pledges continued cooperation with Venezuela in 2017

Guyana has pledged to cooperate with Venezuela in 2017 to ensure that the Good Offices process recommended by the United Nations in relation to the border controversy bears fruit. However, this is premised on the level of cooperation from the Spanish speaking country.

Reporting to the National Assembly on Tuesday (December 20, 2016), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge said “We had of course lost faith in the Good Office process, essentially because of the Venezuela’s non-cooperation with it but we are willing to give it one last try facilitated by the Secretary General’s nominee but obviously it is process that can only provide mutually satisfactory results if Venezuela cooperates fully to that end. As we say in Guyana, one hand can’t clap.”

In a communiqué issued to Guyana and Venezuela on Friday (December 16, 2016), the United Nations Secretary-General recommended that the two countries give the process one more year to work. Failure to reach a solution will see the matter being brought to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The SG will be naming a new representative for the Good Offices process.

Greenidge noted that on Guyana’s part, if Venezuela fails to cooperate, “We have readied ourselves for the ICJ”.

Guyana has long been pushing for the matter to be taken to the ICJ, noting that the Good Office process is not working.

However, the recent communiqué for the process to be given one year was seen as a “victory” to the Spanish speaking country. This according to an article published on Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry’s website.

Venezuela has for many years claimed 2/3 of Guyana’s territory, but the controversy again took to the fore in 2015 when United States oil giant; ExxonMobil declared a large oil find offshore Guyana.