President renews invitation for Chavez to visit
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo has renewed an invitation for reelected Venezuela President Hugo Chavez to visit Guyana to boost relations between the two countries. Guyana and Venezuela have recently traded words over Chavez's reassertion of his country's longstanding claim to Guyana's Essequibo region but Mr Jagdeo yesterday signalled he favoured continuing close ties with the neighbour to the west. In a message congratulating Chavez on his victory at elections Sunday, Mr Jagdeo said, "Our two countries, over the years, have benefitted from a dedicated desire on both sides to maintain good neighbourly relations based on friendship and cooperation." He urged Chavez to back intensified work by the high level bilateral commission "as a means of consolidating our bilateral cooperation." "Excellency, this is an opportune time for me to reiterate my hope that I would be able to welcome you to Guyana at a mutually convenient time", he said. The two presidents met in Havana, Cuba in April this year at the South Summit and are to meet again at the end of the month at a summit of hemispheric leaders in Brasilia, Brazil. A statement after the Havana meeting said they stressed their commitment to using the United Nations to try to resolve the border controversy over Venezuela's claim to the Essequibo. Both countries have agreed to the UN `Good Officer' process to try to find a mutually satisfactory resolution to the controversy and the Foreign Ministry here said the two presidents in Havana "reiterated their commitment" to this procedure. The talks were "cordial" and the two hope to meet again in Brasilia, the ministry said. Responding to an invitation in Havana from the Guyana President to visit here, Chavez "indicated that such a visit could take place during the last quarter of this year", the ministry reported. The leaders had noted possibilities for furthering economic and functional cooperation in trade and technology and are satisfied with the establishment of the high level commission aimed at intensifying economic and cultural linkages. Mr Jagdeo and Chavez also looked at visits at other levels to "promote good relations between the two countries", the Foreign Ministry said in April. Chavez had earlier called Guyanese "our brethren" and assured that his country will not get into any kind of conflict with Guyana. His assurances then came during a state visit to Venezuela by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil. In his message yesterday, Mr Jagdeo told Chavez: "I am convinced that under your leadership the people of Venezuela will continue to prosper as you strive to improve their conditions of life and their standard of living." "I am certain that the coming period of your renewed mandate as President will create ever greater opportunities for our countries to deepen and strengthen our relations generally." Guyana last week hit back at Venezuela in an escalating war of words over the mineral-rich Essequibo border area, saying it would "spare no effort" to counter Venezuela's offer of oil concessions on Guyanese territory. President Jagdeo told a news conference here he had asked the UN Good Officer in the border dispute, Barbados diplomat Oliver Jackman, for an early meeting in Georgetown, after Caracas announced it would grant oil concessions in Guyana's Essequibo region. Mr Jagdeo accused Venezuela of trying "to scare serious investors away from Guyana". Guyana "categorically rejects this policy of interference on the part of Venezuela and will spare no effort to counter these acts of interference," he declared. In Caracas, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jose Vicente Rangel said Venezuela would use all diplomatic and legal means to recover the 61,500-square-mile territory it says it unfairly lost in an international arbitration decision in 1899. Venezuela's claim is rooted in 19th century colonial history but was revived in 1999 by Chavez. Rangel dismissed speculation of a military escalation. "The only thing that is completely ruled out is the military way," Rangel told reporters. Venezuela's move last week seemed to be a reaction to Guyana's awarding oil and mining concessions in the Essequibo. Guyana's policy of granting oil, gold and timber concessions to U.S. and Asian companies was "reckless," Rangel said in Caracas. The boundary controversy was exacerbated by a deal that Guyana signed in May with a U.S. company to build a commercial rocket launch site in the Essequibo region. Rangel reiterated that Venezuela would not accept the installation of the base by Dallas-based Beal Aerospace Technologies Inc., saying the contract signed with the Texas company had "neo-colonial clauses." Venezuela has argued the launch pad, which would not be ready before 2003, may be used as a military base, will be a U.S. "enclave" and its security in the hands of U.S. officials. Guyana has said it will be a commercial facility and its security private. Mr Jagdeo said there was "no provision in this agreement with Beal for troops from the United States or any foreign country to be stationed at the space launch facility." The U.S. Embassy in Caracas has said that Washington had no role in the deal except for granting export licences for sensitive technology, such as rockets. The Texas company chose the north west location because of the sparse population and proximity to the equator, which allows rockets to send heavier payloads into space. President Jagdeo said that as far as Guyana is concerned "the land borders have been settled since 1899" but the maritime boundaries have not been delimited. "We are willing to move forward in that regard, we have some proposals that we will be putting to the Venezuelans," he said.
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