Parties suggest border issue for Parliament
PARLIAMENTARY political parties have recommended that the Government take the recent Venezuela border issue to the House so that it can be thoroughly ventilated at that level. Foreign Minister, Mr. Clement Rohee told the Chronicle yesterday after a one hour meeting that the parties also suggested the restarting of the Parliamentary standing committee on Foreign Affairs. "I am looking at the recommendations and I assured them I will keep them informed of any developments," Rohee said after the meeting at his ministry. The Foreign Minister Monday said he had briefed the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the United Nations Good Officer overseeing talks between the two countries on arriving at a mutually acceptable solution, on recent events. Rohee over the weekend received an official note from the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry emphasising that military moves last week on the disputed border were routine anti-drug operations and not an attempt to raid the mineral rich Essequibo region. Venezuela claims the Essequibo in a border controversy dating back to the 19th century. Responding to Guyanese concern over the military movements in the border region on October 5, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying: "The Venezuelan National Guard was carrying out routine operations against illicit drug trafficking last Tuesday, without intentions to make an incursion into the Essequibo region." "In no way should (the mobilisation) be interpreted as an unfriendly act by the Government of Venezuela," it added. The Foreign Minister, in an interview Monday, said "we are not being alarmist in any way. We need not be alarmist but we need to share the information and let (CARICOM) know what is emanating from Caracas and what is emanating from Georgetown so that they can draw their own conclusions." He said his ministry had provided the parties invited to yesterday's meeting documents on the issue, explaining "I will be letting them know how the situation evolved...what are some steps that were taken and future perspectives on our relations with Venezuela in the context of functional cooperation and the McIntyre process."
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