Greater access to oil supplies and discussions on the United Nations' role in the border controversy are likely to top talks today between President Bharrat Jagdeo and visiting President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez.

In what Foreign Minister Rudy Insanally describes as a very flexible agenda the discussions will also likely cover a review of the mechanism for co-operation including the high level bilateral commission and its sub-committees. The decision to establish the high-level bilateral commission was taken when then President Janet Jagan visited Caracas in 1998.

President Chavez is scheduled to arrive here today by private aircraft at the head of a 50-member delegation which includes security and media operatives for a one-day state visit. Up to yesterday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was still not in possession of the composition and size of the Venezuelan delegation. Other Venezuelan presidents who have visited Guyana include Carlos Andres Perez and Jaime Luscinchi.

The invitation for this trip was extended during President Jagan's 1998 visit to Caracas and it has had to be re-scheduled on several occasions over the years.

Other issues likely to come up are Caricom, the Association of Caribbean States, the Amazon Treaty for Co-operation and the possible areas of co-operation within those fora in which the two countries share membership.

The programme includes a Civic Reception at City Hall, where Chavez will be accorded the Freedom of the City by Mayor Hamilton Green. Then it will be on to talks with President Jagdeo followed by discussions with Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin, Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran SC and Caricom Secretary-General, Edwin Carrington, all to be held at Chavez' suite at Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel.

The Venezuelan President will be the guest of honour at a State House Luncheon, following which he will talk with some senior secondary school students.

This activity will be followed by an address to an audience of parliamentarians and civic leaders at Le Meridien Pegasus. Following this, there are plans for a joint press conference at State House.

Observers say that Guyana would be pressing for access to petroleum supplies under the Caracas Energy Accord, to which Guyana acceded in 2001 during the Summit of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). Both Presidents Jagdeo and Chavez signed on behalf of their governments. Oil accessed under the accord is offered on generous credit terms.

The matter is of pressing interest to Guyana since the interest rate at which the cost of some of the oil would be deferred is no longer attractive given the prevailing interest rates globally. The multilateral financial institutions are pressing Guyana not to incur any more debt except in the circumstances where the interest on any new credit is so low as to be a "giveaway", sources say.

The review of the UN Good Officer process in relation to the border controversy will involve both sides looking at the next steps in the process following the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of both countries last year. This newspaper understands too that there is unlikely to be any significant breakthrough in the matter which has its genesis in Venezuela's repudiation of the 1899 Arbitral Award as a final and binding settlement of the border between the two countries.

A statement by the PNCR welcoming Chavez's visit said it hopes that his stay "will be productive and will facilitate the evolution of the relationship between our two countries in constructive and mutually beneficial ways."

"In particular, it is our profound hope that the discussions with the Government of Guyana will be fruitful and that the visit of the Venezuelan Head of State will expedite the solution to the controversy between our two countries in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Geneva Agreement."

It said that it hopes "President Jagdeo will use the visit to impress upon President Chavez the deep concern of the people of Guyana over the persistent pressure which he (President Chavez) and his government have been exerting to deny legitimate economic development of Essequibo."

The PNCR is likely to boycott Chavez's presentation to parliamentarians and civic leaders at Le Meridien Pegasus given their boycott of events where Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj is present.

The PNCR's statement noted that it is unfortunate that the visit occurs "when we are troubled by the uncovering of serious violations of human rights and (allegations) of state-sponsored death squads and murder.

"As such it said that it would have to evaluate the nature and depth of our participation in the activities organised by the Government surrounding the visit of Mr Chavez.

"We wish to make it clear that whatever action we decide to take must not be seen as implying any disrespect to the President of the neighbouring republic. The PNCR will, however, not participate in any charade that attempts to mask the gravity of the current national situation."

President Chavez assumed the Presidency of Venezuela in 1999, after being jailed in 1992 for leading an aborted coup. He was pardoned in 1994 and he then joined with a number of political organisations to form the V Republic Movement whose activities led to his assumption of the Presidency.

He is a graduate of the Military Academy of Venezuela from which he graduated with a college-level degree in Military Sciences and Art and has completed post-graduate studies in political sciences at the Simon Bolivar University. He is a lover of baseball, the most popular sport in Venezuela, short stories, poetry and paintings.

President Chavez is married and is the father five children, Rosa Virginia, Maria, Hugo, Raul and Rosa Ines.