Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd has made it clear that Guyana remains committed to good neighborliness with Venezuela, even as it maintains the border controversy case before the International Court of Justice.

Minister Todd and a high-level Foreign Affairs team met in Brazil on Thursday with the Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs and his team. The meeting is a follow up to the Argyle Declaration and last December’s meeting between President Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President, Nicholas Maduro.

Following yesterday’s meeting in Brazil, Guyana’s Foreign Minister told the media that Guyana is committed to advancing good relations with Venezuela in the interest of both countries. 

“And while we await the judgement of the Court, here is where the Argyle declaration is integral—we can continue now to work on those areas of common interest, because the Court will come and will pronounce but we will still have to move on. We are working to ensure that we have a continent that is fully integrated,” Todd said. 

The Foreign Affairs Minister said Guyana and Venezuela have had a number of agreements in place in areas such as Agriculture and Infrastructure. To this end, he has proposed that the two nations build on those agreements. 

He also commended Brazil’s leadership in revitalizing the integration movement on the continent, noting that Guyana is committed to the continental destiny.

“There are common areas in which have agreed upon since 2013 in which we can start working on because they are common interest. We have already shared a mutual agreement on those areas, which I have presented and which I have asked my colleague and counterpart to transmit to his government on his return,” the Foreign Minister noted.

Todd described the meeting in Brazil as a good start, and said the two sides are looking to meet again within a reasonable time to continue their dialogue, which he hopes will be ongoing.

“We are leaving here today with understanding of where we are, and where we need to be. We are going back to Georgetown, to continue working and advancing our neighborly relations with our neighbor to the West, with the support and facilitation by our neighbor to the south—Brazil, and also with the oversight and support from our interlocutor that being United Nations as well as CELAC,” Todd stated.

Todd, said the meeting in Brazil shows Guyana’s commitment to the United Nations charter.

The Venezuelan delegation also reported that the meeting was a good one.

Venezuela has been trying to get Guyana to discontinue the case before the International Court, but Guyana has maintained that the border case is properly before the International Court, and that is where it will remain until a judgement is handed down.

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