PM Gonsalves sees ‘great value’ in meeting between Presidents Ali and Maduro

Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Dr Ralph Gonsalves says the face-to-face meeting between Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro next week will be of “great value” even though the Guyanese leader has declined to discuss the ongoing border controversy.

Speaking at an impromptu press conference on Saturday night in SVG, Dr Gonsalves urged that the planned meeting is not derailed, highlighting that “Guyana and Venezuela are neighbours” and they “have to live with one another.”

Asked about the value of the meeting given Ali’s stance, Dr Gonsalves said, “many things need to be addressed and the matter of the commitment to international law, the commitment to maintain the region as a zone of peace and not to go to open conflict, all are of great importance and I’m sure when leaders sit down, they will search for modalities to maintain the peace.

“I see great value for the communication.”

Dr Gonsalves said it is better to have the two neighbours “talking in peace, respectfully, than fighting.”

“Not to be talking is very dangerous and it is something I believe will weigh very heavily on people’s hearts and minds.”

Guyana’s Head of State has consistently made it clear that the border controversy is squarely before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which will give a final and binding ruling on the matter and it is not up for discussion.

The News Room reported earlier that amid rising tensions fuelled by Venezuela’s attempts to undermine Guyana’s sovereignty, Ali agreed to meet Maduro in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The meeting will be held on Thursday December 14, 2023, at 10:00 hrs and will be hosted by Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Heads of State of CARICOM, a United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The meeting was brokered on Saturday by Dr Gonsalves.

“The fact of the matter is that our region has been a zone of peace and we want to keep it like this.

“If open conflicts emerge, the implication are horrendous to contemplate.

“It will affect negatively everyone… in our Caribbean and the Latin America region,” the SVG PM said.

He explained that St Vincent is making all the adequate preparations in terms of security for the high-level meeting.

Dr Gonsalves also noted that high-ranking government officials in the United States and the United Kingdom are in touch with CARICOM leaders on the issue.

“This matter is of great interest. We have to address it with the seriousness it deserves and not flippancy.

“It is easy to play clown with any matter but this is a very serious issue.”

There have been numerous calls for the region to remain a zone of peace, and for Venezuela to meaningfully participate in the case before the ICJ.

At the ICJ, Guyana hopes for a final, binding settlement of the controversy, reaffirming the 1899 Arbitral Award that established the boundary as it is known internationally.