Rohee promises close watch on frontier policy
FOREIGN Minister, Mr Clement Rohee says this year will see particularly close watch on the country's frontier policy, adding that the Venezuelan issue especially will be under scrutiny. At his end-of-year press conference last week, he said the ministry will have to keep a close watch "to ensure that in the year 2000 we do not do anything, based on either a miscalculation or misjudgment, that will create any furore in Guyana in relation to the controversy we have with Venezuela." "We will run on a twin track...try to work to maintain cordial and friendly relations with Venezuela, with Brazil, with Suriname (border countries), and at the same time work with the United Nations (UN) and the new facilitator to ensure that the controversy through the UN Good Officer process is kept on even keel and does not engage in any activity that is harmful to us," Rohee assured. The Foreign Minister said he did not mind the examination the ministry's frontier policy came under last year from the media, opposition parties and various other bodies, since it is a good manifestation to show that there is national interest and concern. "I have no problem whatsoever with the kind of scrutiny which the ministry has come under...during the course of 1999, in relation to how we have handled our border affairs," Rohee said. "This is only natural because it is a sensitive matter and people most naturally will be very concerned about a matter of that kind." He said for this year the ministry will have to continue all it has been doing while "remaining under the constant watch of the opposition parties, the non-governmental organisations and the media." The longstanding border controversy with Venezuela remains with the UN Good Officer process under which a facilitator is trying to help the two countries arrive at a mutually satisfactory solution. And assessing the attendance at various conferences and seminars overseas during last year, Rohee said these helped to advance Guyana's interests overseas. Responding to critics who claim that a lot of money is spent on frequenting these "talk shops", Rohee argued that "it is important for us to have representation there and to have clearly defined national positions, so that when we go to these conferences, we speak with strong backing of a national constituent, whether it's the private sector or the public sector, on the issues which we feel strong about." "If we don't go to these meetings, then nobody speaks for Guyana." The minister declared that the country could hold its head high in so far as defence of its national interests is concerned. "There has not been an event where I could say from a self-critical point of view that we had our national interest affected in one way or another," Rohee noted. "When it comes to our vital national interests, with our limited resources, both human and financial, we have managed to scrape through to ensure that our vital national interests have not been in any fundamental way affected so that someone could point with an accusing finger to say here or there, we have suffered." But he acknowledged that as always, there is room for improvement. Rohee said too that Guyana's bilateral relations have improved significantly, and the country has acquired new contacts with about three to four countries. There were 16 visits from overseas in the ministerial or vice-ministerial capacities and 14 new accreditations. He added that about four non-resident ambassadors came to make their usual rounds here. (MICHELLE ELPHAGE)
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