Venezuela’s threats and claims to top Guyana’s agenda at Commonwealth Meeting

During the weekly "Public Interest" tv programme, the President made it clear that the Venezuela issue will top his agenda. "That is my agenda, few and simple,” Mr. Granger said during the interview.

Venezuela’s threats and claims to top Guyana’s agenda at Commonwealth Meeting

Venezuela’s claims to Guyana’s Essequibo Region and parts of its oil rich maritime space will be “the issue” for Guyana at the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta.

During the weekly “Public Interest” tv programme, the President made it clear that the Venezuela issue will top his agenda.

“That is my agenda, few and simple,” Mr. Granger said during the interview.

He explained that this will be Guyana’s priority matter in keeping with his concern for the security of small states. “The majority of states in the Commonwealth are small states, and some are mini states. Guyana with a population of fewer than one million people is regarded as a small state,” President Granger added.

According to the President, there are other issues to be dealt with such as global warming since Guyana along with many island states are susceptible to flooding consequent to rising seas levels, “but my main concern will be the security of the country. After 50 years we are entitled to develop our hinterland and the biggest threat to that development is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” the President said.

President Granger and his delegation will leave Guyana next week to attend the Commonwealth Meeting which runs from November 27 – 29 in Malta.

Over 40 Commonwealth Heads of Government are expected to be in attendance.

A group of Foreign Ministers of the 53-nation Commonwealth met in New York back in September at the 70th session of the United Nations General Assembly where the Guyana- Venezuela border controversy was discussed.

A statement was  issued in which the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) endorsed Guyana’s call for a judicial settlement of the Venezuela border controversy and reiterated its full support of Guyana in the ongoing row.

CMAG is the Commonwealth body that addresses complaints raised by member countries.

President Granger and the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro also met under the auspices of the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon to discuss the situation.

A UN investigative team is currently seeking out ways to a peaceful resolution of the border row. (Kurt Campbell for News Source)

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