Guyana maintains right to invite investors - Rohee Jackman report for Annan Stabroek News August 9, 2000 UN Good Officer Oliver Jackman is to compile a summary of his meetings in Guyana and Venezuela on the latest tremors in the controversy between the two countries for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. On the Guyana leg of his mission, Jackman heard this country's emphatic view on its right to attract and pursue investments in Essequibo - the source of the controversy. Venezuela sees the granting of any concessions in the Essequibo as a violation of the spirit of the 1966 Geneva agreement in that they make a practical solution to the border controversy more difficult, Jackman told reporters last evening at a press conference. But Minister of Foreign Affairs Clement Rohee, repeated his government's position at the press conference that "the Geneva agreement in no way takes away from us the right to develop and invite foreign investors to engage in economic activities in the region". The region was this country's national territory and should not be put in some hallowed chamber, he added. Jackman recalled at the press conference that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez did express hope that the rhetoric in the latest episode in the border controversy could be toned down as he recognised that this would improve relations between the two countries. Chavez' conciliatory remarks came only days after his government had threatened to start oil exploration off the coast of Essequibo; "a region snatched from Venezuela during the period of British rule," according to Venezuelan Oil Minister Ali Rodriguez Araque quoted in a newspaper report last week. Venezuela had also written to two oil companies Exxon and Century warning them not to utilise their licences in the area. It has also threatened to block the Beal spaceport project. Jackman told reporters that from his conversations with Venezuelan officials last week the government in Caracas saw the granting of oil exploration licences as undermining their maritime sovereignty. These licences along with the Beal space project and a timber concession for a Chinese company, they felt, were a collective violation of the spirit of the 1966 Geneva agreement as they could make it difficult to find a practical solution to the controversy. Rohee said Jackman had been invited to Guyana "to hear live and direct" this country's concerns over the current situation and thoughts on a way forward. Guyana wanted to protest the Venezuelan statements on the Beal deal and petroleum exploration. Jackman noted that while his job description was "to take some of the heat" out of the controversy, this did not preclude any efforts to find a final solution although he demurred to elaborate on the way forward. He did however note that the facilitators from the two countries had met twice and plans for more meetings have been made. Jackman related that Venezuela was aware of the opposition to the Beal agreement in Guyana and knew of the court case filed in the matter. Though he said the Venezuelan objections to the Beal agreement were rooted in their interpretation of the Geneva Agreement. Guyana has over the years pursued a string of investments aside from Beal in Essequibo including a four-million acre lease to Barama Company Limited, on-land oil exploration and mineral leases. Some of these had been objected to by Caracas but pursued any way. Jackman added that Chavez related to him how he was looking forward to meeting President Bharrat Jagdeo at a South American Heads of Government Summit in Brazil. Asked if he thought Britain as the former colonial ruler and signatory to the Geneva agreement should be involved, Jackman only said that would be a judgement Guyana would have to make. Earlier in the day Jackman met with the parliamentary parties where he briefed them on Caracas' position. Present at the meeting were representatives from the PPP, PNC and the TUF . A newspaper report from Venezuela last week quoted that country's Oil Minister as saying that his country would not pursue plans to explore for oil in Guyana's Exclusive Economic Zone if Guyana suspends the exploration licences it has granted in the area. Follow the goings-on in Guyana in Guyana Today