Guyana part of talks on stability of region amid Ukraine-Russia crisis

Guyana, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, is participating in talks with regional leaders on the potential impact of the Ukraine-Russia crisis and to bolster calls for an end to the hostilities in Ukraine.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry, via their social media accounts, related that subject Minister Hugh Todd engaged Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Colombia Marta Lucía Ramírez and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Brazil Carlos Alberto Franco França on Friday.

These engagements were reportedly held following the recent developments in Ukraine. No further details were provided.

The Colombian Vice President, however, elaborated on the engagement with Minister Todd.

“… we discussed the Ukraine-Russia crisis and its impact not only on the security of Europe, but also on the stability of [Latin America ]and [the Caribbean], a zone of the world traditionally of peace,” Ramírez said in a tweet published on her official Twitter account.

Ramírez also noted that Guyana and Colombia “agree to join forces and coordinate” with other countries and key bodies such as the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations (UN).

She stated that Russia has ignored articles of the UN’s guiding Charter and it has violated the integrity of Ukrainian territory.

Meanwhile, a tweet from Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the “handling of the issue” in Ukraine was discussed by the Brazilian and Guyanese Foreign Affairs bodies.

“The Ministers reaffirmed their concern regarding the military operations, agreed on the need for hostilities to be immediately suspended and for the parties involved to seek a diplomatic solution to the issue,” Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

These engagements come just one day after Russian forces invaded Ukraine, after weeks of mounting tensions.

The Government of Guyana, in a written statement, emphasised that the aggression unfolding in Ukraine is a threat to the European region and to the wider world.

Because of this, Guyana has called for an immediate end to the hostilities in Ukraine and a return to diplomatic negotiations.

Guyana’s government also said that it stands by statements from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); those statements strongly condemned Russia’s actions and called for a return to global peace and security.

On Thursday, Minister Todd met with several diplomats in Guyana concerning the Ukraine- Russia crisis.

Importantly, too, Guyana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry reported that Minister Todd met with the Russian Ambassador to Guyana Alexander Kurmaz, following Russia’s actions against Ukraine. It is unclear what that discussion involved.