Commonwealth pledges support for Guyana's territorial integrity
Guyana Chronicle
December 6, 2003
GINA -- GUYANA has been reassured of the entire Commonwealth's continued support for Guyana's territorial integrity. Reassurance came at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting now being held in Abuja, Nigeria.
President Bharrat Jagdeo, who is attending the meeting, made an intervention on the issue and was reassured by the entire meeting that they stand in support of Guyana's territorial integrity. It is expected that these reassurances will be included in the final communiqué to be issued at the conclusion of the meeting.
Similar assurances were given at the 2002 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Coolum, Australia. The Communiqué issued at the end of that meeting stated that "Heads of Government reaffirmed their solidarity with Guyana in light of the continuing threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity by Venezuela." It further stated that, "In this context they regretted Guyana's inability to fully exploit all its natural resources in the Essequibo region in accordance with the Geneva Agreement."
In the same Communiqué, the Commonwealth Heads of Government commended the United Nations good offices process in finding a solution to the controversy and urged both countries to continue to avail themselves of this mechanism to resolve their differences in a spirit of good neighborliness.
Both Guyana and Venezuela have been working to improve relations between the two countries. The Minister of External Relations of Venezuela HE Roy Chaderton Matos made a two-day visit to Guyana in April. The visit served to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries especially in the areas of functional and economic cooperation.
The Nigeria Conference opened with addresses by Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, Host President Olusegun Obasanjo and the President of Australia. This evening President Jagdeo will be attending a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth II. Tomorrow the Heads will retreat. The meeting concludes on Monday.