The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approached the United States Embassy on the Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee's snagged application for a visa to travel to the USA.
Questioned on the issue at his end-of-year press conference yesterday at Takuba Lodge, Rohee said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had intervened but there had been no new developments.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has told me there is nothing new to report on it," Rohee said. This was repeated by Director-General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elisabeth Harper, when Stabroek News contacted her on the issue yesterday.
Asked about the reasons for the delay, Rohee said that none was given. An official at the US Embassy here had told Stabroek News that visa applicants are usually told of the reasons behind such delays.
Rohee applied for a US visitor's visa some three weeks ago and learnt that his application was referred to Washington DC for approval.
He said it was obvious that if he was required to travel in the meantime, he would have to find other routes to reach his final destination.
Asked whether he felt the delay in approval was due to the strong position he had taken against the US over the war in Iraq, Rohee said he had "no reason to believe that."
Questioned how he felt about the delay, he said "I have no feelings on the matter. I am working."
As to whether it would affect his work at the moment, Rohee said "not so far." He said he was not aware that a similar situation would have occurred involving a Cabinet colleague. He said he has never asked them.
On any investigations being conducted by the US State Department as it relates to his application he said that it would not be proper for him to pronounce on what is justifiable or not justifiable for a government to do.
"Let's wait for what the investigations will bring out", he added. Rohee was foreign affairs minister between 1992 and 2001. He has travelled to the US on several occasions and since his appointment to his present post he has journeyed through the US on trips abroad.
In late 2001, the US government banned travel to the US by Guyana government officials to force acceptance of a number of Guyanese criminal deportees. The ban was lifted after the government agreed to accept the deportees.