IT IS a major challenge for Guyana to pursue its social and economic development, or to specifically attract significant levels of foreign private investment to develop its sprawling, mineral-rich Essequibo region, while its frontier neighbour, Venezuela, maintains a hostile claim to some two thirds of its 83,000 square miles.

It is, therefore, encouraging when there are high-level visits by Venezuelan and Guyanese representatives to Caracas and Georgetown and efforts are made to clear up misunderstandings and promote a mutually acceptable matured status quo in relations.

Such an opportunity will present itself later this week when Venezuela's Foreign Minister, Luis Davila, travels to Georgetown for two days of meetings with his Guyana counterpart, Rudy Insanally

Over recent years, since the rise to power of President Hugo Chavez, Venezuela, which will next month host the Third Summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), has been blending its diplomacy of 'friendship' assurances with hostile statements and actions.

These include renewed denunciations in Caracas of an 1899 international Arbitral Award recognising the existing demarcated boundaries between the two neighbours; claims of violation of Guyana's airspace, and high-level visits by Venezuelan and political representatives to military outposts on the Guyana-Venezuela border.

Venezuela, of course, does not read 'hostility' the same way that Guyana does when it comes to official statements or actions that can be viewed as contrary to the letter and spirit of the 1899 Arbitral Award.

The tribunal had determined that the existing borders between the two neighbouring states in South America constitute "a full, perfect and final settlement of all the questions referred to the arbitrators".

Successive administrations in Caracas have, however, been in the habit of denouncing the Award as "null and void", even as the dispute continues to be under consideration for resolution, by mutual consent, through the "Good Offices" of the United Nations Secretary General.

The first Caribbean citizen to have served in the 'Good Offices' capacity, shuttling between New York and Georgetown and Caracas, was Sir Alister McIntyre.

Currently the challenging assignment is the responsibility of the diplomat Oliver Jackman.

When reviewing the status quo of Venezuela-Guyana relations and discussing arrangements for the ACS Summit to be hosted by President Chavez, it is expected that Insanally would also raise with Davila his government's interest in accessing Venezuela's new Energy Accord of 2000 that extends concessionary facilities to various Caribbean and Latin American states.

(Reprinted from yesterday's Barbados Nation)