Guyana and Venezuela have reached an agreement not to use force to resolve the dispute over the territory of Essequibo and to use dialogue to reduce bilateral tensions.
The announcement was made on Thursday by representatives of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac), during a press conference in which a statement was read out on the agreements reached by Venezuela’s presidents. Nicolás Maduro, and from Guyana, Irfaan Alí, during a meeting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The agreement stipulates that “Guyana and Venezuela will not, directly or indirectly, threaten or use force against each other under any circumstances, including as a result of a dispute between the two states,” the statement said.
The countries “agreed that any dispute between the two states will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement of February 17, 1966.”
On the other hand, they said they were committed to “the pursuit of good neighborly relations and the peaceful coexistence and unity of Latin America and the Caribbean” and “noted Guyana’s confirmation that the country is committed to trial and procedures of the International Court of Justice. of Justice (ICC) for the resolution of the border dispute” and “Venezuela’s statement regarding its lack of consent and that it does not recognize the ICC and its jurisdiction over the border dispute”.
They will also “continue dialogue on any other pending issue, of mutual interest to both countries” and “that both States will refrain, whether by word or deed, from aggravating any conflict or disagreement arising out of any dispute between them “.
The two states will work together “to avoid incidents on the ground that cause tension between them” and in the event of an incident they have decided that immediate communication will be established between the two parties, with Caricom and Celac and with the president of Brazil. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, “to contain this, reverse it and prevent it from happening again,” the document emphasizes.
As part of the agreements, Venezuela and Guyana will establish a joint commission of foreign ministers and technicians from both states on mutually agreed matters.
“An updated report on this joint commission will be presented to the Presidents of Guyana and Venezuela within three months,” he explained.
Both States reached an agreement that the minister [lusodescendente] Ralf Gonsalves, ‘pro-tempore’ president of Celac, the Prime Minister and President of Caricom, Roosevelt Skerrit, as well as the Brazilian Head of State will “continue to address this issue as interlocutors and the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, as an observer”.
“Both states agreed to meet again in Brazil within the next three months, or at another agreed time, to discuss any issue affecting the disputed territory, including the aforementioned Joint Commission update,” it said document.
The Essequibo region, which appears on Venezuelan maps as a “zone under claim,” has been under UN mediation since 1966, when the Geneva Agreement was signed.
At about 160,000 square kilometers, Essequibo is rich in oil, represents more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory and is home to about a fifth of its population, or about 125,000 people.
Venezuela’s claim has become more urgent since ExxonMobil discovered oil in Essequibo in 2015, and tensions have increased since then.
For Venezuela, the Essequibo River should be the natural border, just as it was in 1777, during the Spanish Empire. Guyana maintains that the border, which dates back to the British colonial era, was ratified in 1899 by an arbitration court in Paris.
Meanwhile, Guyana has already allowed eight foreign oil companies to explore oil reserves in the waters claimed by Venezuela.
On December 3, Venezuela held a consultative referendum in which more than 95% of participating voters voted in favor of the government’s intentions to annex Essequibo to the Venezuelan maps.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan president signed six decrees a week ago to regain Essequibo, an area in conflict with neighboring Guyana.
Source: DN
