`We must seek common solutions' - President tells Venezuelan Congress Stabroek News July 22, 1998 President Janet Jagan Tuesday addressed Venezuela's parliament as part of her three-day state visit and held talks with the country's President, Rafael Caldera. She also addressed the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and was decorated with the Order of the Liberator, by President Caldera. The Order of the Liberator is Venezuela's highest national award given to foreign dignitaries. Among other foreign dignitaries similarly honoured was the late President Cheddi Jagan. She also received the keys to the city of Caracas from its mayor, Antonio Ledezma. In her address to Venezuela's National Congress at the Legislative Palace, President Jagan described her visit as that "of a friendly neighbour, who shares common ideals with you, seeking even closer ties with your nation." "The relations between our two countries have been evolving in a positive manner and we view this as a progressive trend which can be further strengthened." She noted that they shared a common experience of surmounting past "challenges of slavery, colonialism and autocracy" and had done so separately. However, President Jagan observed that "today's challenges are more complex, more global and defy individual approaches." "We must, therefore, join forces and jointly seek solutions to the eradication of poverty, the redistribution of wealth, sustainable development, the debt burden, social and infrastructural development, economic diversification, the narcotics trade and the consequences of globalisation," she stressed. And explaining the areas for increased bilateral cooperation, President Jagan, from Guyana's standpoint, explained the areas where this could be pursued. "We see the possibility of utilising new and existing mechanisms to strengthen functional cooperation with Venezuela, based upon our mutual imperatives." The President stressed that "we feel the necessity for further collaboration on environmental issues and fisheries. We need more trade and commerce." And she pledged "to extend cooperation to eradicate the scourge of the narcotics trade." "We need to implement more frontier cooperation. We will develop more programmes in the area of security and we intend to increase cultural contacts and exchanges," she stressed. "We are ready and willing to further enhance our relations for the mutual benefit of our peoples," President Jagan pledged, adding that her delegation had been "encouraged by the hospitality of the government and people of Venezuela," which is the same that "has been shown to the tens of thousands of our nationals who have made Venezuela their home." Commenting on the long-standing Guyana/Venezuela border controversy, President Jagan reaffirmed her government's "commitment to the Geneva Agreement and to the McIntyre Process which has greatly contributed to laying the basis for good relations which now exist between our two countries." "We are committed to the examination of all initiatives which contain the possibility of a solution that would be satisfactory to the peoples of our two countries while laying the basis for continued good relations thereafter." Turning to cooperation on the environment, President Jagan told the Venezuelan legislators that it was gratifying to be in Caracas, the present headquarters of the Treaty of Amazonian Cooperation, at a time when the 20th Anniversary of the treaty was being observed. "For us, this symbolises our joint commitment to protect and preserve the Amazon rainforest for the benefit of future generations," she explained. "Our commitment to ecological preservation is unimpeachable," she asserted, pointing out that "sustainable development is a central and recurrent feature of our national development strategy." "Our national efforts, which include strict laws, are being applied and fortified to avoid environmental degradation," she said. Her first engagement on arriving in Caracas Tuesday morning where she was met by President Caldera and members of his Cabinet, was the laying of a wreath at the National Pantheon honouring Venezuela's great liberator, Simon Bolivar. Following the wreath laying ceremony and her receipt of the key to the city of Caracas, President Jagan, Foreign Minister, Clement Rohee and Guyana's ambassador to Caracas, Bayney Karran, met with President Caldera, his foreign minister and Venezuela's ambassador to Guyana, Hector Azocar. A Guyana Information Services release said that President Jagan described the talks as "friendly" and they "touched on many issues which could improve relations between the two countries." Last night the Guyanese Head of State was the guest of honour at a reception hosted by President Caldera. Earlier in the afternoon she met with the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce. In her address to the Chambers of Commerce, President Jagan reiterated "the need for concerted action to play a proactive role in matters related to the establishment of the Free Trade Areas of the Americas, the Association of Caribbean States, and the expansion of trade between the Caribbean Community and Venezuela as well as the Andean Group and CARICOM." Noting the large private sector representation in her delegation, the Guyanese Head of State said it "is a demonstration of my government's intention to involve the Private Sector in all aspects of our national development strategy." She expressed the hope that the businessmen would "seize the opportunity of the presence of the Chairman of the Guyana Private Sector Commission, Yesu Persaud, to exchange views on the intensification of relations between the two Private Sectors and the desirability of establishing a Joint Business Council." Her engagements today include meetings with the Presidents of the Venezuela Investment Fund and the Bank of Foreign Trade and the Minister of Energy and Mines; lunch with the President of Petronin, as well as a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Arts, where she will meet with the director of the youth orchestra system in Venezuela. In her speech to the businessmen, President Jagan said that in her discussions with the President of the Venezuelan Investment Fund, she would be "exchanging views on the continuation of Economic Cooperation Agreements" as well as exploring "other possibilities for financing development programmes." Her meeting with the Bank of Foreign Trade would be to "jointly discuss the feasibility of a Line of Credit for the financing of non-traditional Venezuelan goods and services. In the evening, she will host a reception at the Caracas Hilton, as well as meet with the Guyanese community at the Guyana embassy.