By Ray Chickrie
RIYADH: The President of Guyana, David Granger, arrived late yesterday (Tuesday) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the Fourth Summit of Arab and South American countries (ASPA) in an effort to use this bi-regional forum to advance economic and political ties with these blocs. Guyana is looking to secure some major investments from eastern countries in areas of food, energy, water, tourism and infrastructure.
Guyana, a small State, is keen to enhance multi-lateral and economic diplomacy and has touted the idea of setting up an investment office in the Arab Gulf. It is this focus on “economic diplomacy” why President Granger chose Carl Greenidge, former Minister of Finance, Planning and Trade as top diplomat. Both Guyana and its neighbour, Suriname, much behind in developing trade and investment with the Arab region as compared to their South American neighbours. Trade between South America and the Arab bloc has now reached over $30 billion from only $6 billion in 2005.
Only three heads of states from South America are participating in the summit. They are, Raphael Correa, Ecuador; David Granger, Guyana; and Nicholas Maduro, Venezuela. This is President Granger’s first appearance at an ASPA Summit, and it comes amidst a major oil discovery in Guyana’s offshore waters which Caracas claims. Guyana has accused Venezuela of “economic terrorism.” Caracas has use it military power against Guyana, its tiny neighbour, to stymied economic development by use of force and intimidation to drive investors out, according to the Government of Guyana.
Granger can expect support from Arab Gulf states who are weary of aggression from larger neighbours to their territorial sovereignty. The Venezuela-Iran-Syria alliance continues to be a major headache for these countries in the Gulf. And Guyana’s backing of Kuwait at the United Nations during the Iraqi invasion of that country is one reason why Kuwait and Guyana ties are strong. Kuwait continues to subsidize the Guyana embassy in its capital.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, clad in typical wear of the Gulf, the Abaya, is on a charm offensive, trying to convince Arab states to increase the price of oil, which has been unsuccessful. Maduro is unlikely to make progress on his insistence on “a formula agreed between oil-producing countries to recover the price of crude oil.” The Sunni Gulf Arab states can withstand the sharp drop in oil price, but in Venezuela, there is an acute shortage of food. Moreover, an increase in oil price will be of tremendous benefit to Iran and that’s something that the Gulf states clearly want to avoid.
The Vice President of Argentine, ?Amado Boudou; Minister of External Relations of Brazil, Mauro Luiz Iecker Vieira; Deputy Foreign Minister of Bolivia Juan Carlos Alurralde, Vice-President of Uruguay Raul Sendic, Chilean Minister of Energy and Special Presidential Envoy Maximo Pacheco, the Prime Minister of Peru, Pedro Cateriano and the Foreign Minister of Colombia, María Ángela Holguín, are heading delegations from their respective countries in Riyadh.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon is also attending the Riyadh summit. Recently, he facilitated a meeting between Granger and Maduro at the sideline of the recent UN General Assembly.
ASPA bring together 22 member states of the Arab League and the 12 countries of South America (UNASUR). Many Arab heads of states are expected to attend the Riyadh Summit.
On Monday the foreign ministers of Guyana and Suriname attended a meeting of their counterparts. ASPA foreign ministers on both sides reviewed bilateral relations in a number of political, economic and cultural fields and looked into how to push for broader relations in all domains for the benefit of all parties. They also discussed the latest regional and global developments and reviewed Riyadh draft declaration which will culminate the 4th Summit between the Arab and South American leaders according to the Bahrain News Agency.
Guyana and Suriname with a significant Muslim population, both have diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are also members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which is based in Jeddah. Suriname is also a member of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) whose headquarter is in the Kingdom as well. Suriname has an honourary consul in Riyadh.
