THE Governments of Guyana and Venezuela have agreed to work towards strengthening existing collaborations while also venturing into new areas, such as air and maritime travel in particular, as their relations continue to flourish.

Following a bilateral meeting yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, His Excellency Nicolas Maduro, and His Excellency President Donald Ramotar signed a joint declaration to conclude a one-day state visit to Guyana by President Maduro, during which the two governments held bilateral talks.

Addressing a media briefing following those talks, President Ramotar noted that Guyana and Venezuela already have strong trade relations, with the PetroCaribe agreement which allows Guyana and other countries to purchase oil from Venezuela by paying only a percentage of the money upfront, and the remainder over time under a special financing agreement; and the rice deal, under which Venezuela imports the majority of the rice produced in Guyana at preferential prices.

The Guyana Head of State advised that the countries will now be venturing into new areas of collaboration, particularly as it relates to air and maritime travel.

“Now we have agreements with air connections, and we are also looking at maritime transport, all of which will have the great possibility of broadening our relationship and strengthening and deepening them to the benefit of our two peoples,” he said.

The joint declaration signed by both presidents stipulates that they agreed to establish a direct air link between Guyana and Venezuela through CONVIASA airline, which has the capacity to transport 70 passengers twice weekly.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has also offered the Government of Guyana capacity building in the area of training of technicians and flight operations inspectors, with the aim of consolidating the airline sector.

President Ramotar said the talks between government officials from Guyana and Venezuela went well, and that they recognise there is still room for improvement. As such, he announced, both sides intend to vigorously pursue all areas of activity in the future.

As it relates to the border dispute that has existed between the two countries for more than a century, President Ramotar advised that Guyana and Venezuela have agreed to renew the Good Offices process of the United Nations (UN). In this regard, he said, both countries have agreed to request that this process be continued.

Expressing satisfaction at President Maduro’s acceptance of his invitation for the state visit, President Ramotar emphasised that such visits are very important in helping to foster closer relations and in developing dialogue between the two countries.

He said Guyana’s relations with Venezuela are extremely important, and noted that, over the years, those relations have been continuously strengthened. He added that this visit would help to take relations to even higher levels.

According to Mr Ramotar, the political will is there for Guyana and Venezuela to have a closer and stronger relationship with each other.

He also took the opportunity to recognise the work done by the late President of the Bolivarian Republic, Hugo Chavez, in this regard, saying that Chavez changed the thinking about the relationship between the countries.

“We must recognise the efforts that he made in this regard, so that today we can be building on the foundation that has already been laid,” he stressed.

President Maduro, speaking via a translator, advised that Guyana and Venezuela have agreed to reinvigorate the bilateral relations between the two countries toward strengthening and widening the cooperation on existing projects, while also looking at new areas of collaboration.

The Heads of State yesterday also received the report of the fifth Meeting of the Guyana/ Venezuela High Level Bilateral Commission (HLBC), which was held on Friday last under the areas of Political Consultation, Food and Agriculture, Air, Land and Sea Transportation, Energy, and Education and Culture.

However, President Maduro informed Guyanese and Venezuelan media personnel that not only were the results of the HLBC meeting discussed, but various other topical matters as well, such as the economies, and culture and politics, among others.

He disclosed that the countries have decided to work towards strengthening and widening the cooperation on energy, commercial and trade mechanisms, and food security, noting that Guyana and Venezuela have a relationship that goes far beyond physical and material cooperation.

Maduro pointed out that late president of the Bolivarian Republic, Hugo Chavez, was “the great architect” of the new relations between Venezuela and Guyana.

He said that, for decades, the Venezuelan people were taught to mistrust and hate the people of Guyana. “There the oligarchy, bolstered and fed and supported by the inherent powers, launched a campaign for our people to hate and distrust the people of Guyana,” he said.

However, he also noted that the late President Chavez had denounced this repeatedly, and had set out to foster a new policy of brotherhood between the two countries. As such, Maduro said, during his first official visit to Guyana, he wished to ratify that policy of brotherhood.

“We have come here to ratify a way to foster cooperation based on our human, cultural and economic relations that will serve as the base for a future of peace and development for our region,” he said.

In addition, he committed to continue working with Guyana despite the legacy of the border dispute that has been inherited, and assured that Venezuela is ready to continue working through the UN Good Offices, considering this as the sole and successful mechanism to channel the differences of the countries, using that as the international law.

Maduro said the work by officials during the state visit has been both successful and a source of encouragement, and it is now up to the teams to implement all the agreements that have been reached.