SUBSEQUENT to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s visit to Guyana, several action plans were considered, including procedures to be followed in the apprehension of vessels and crews for alleged illegal fishing.

In fact, Secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Roger Luncheon said yesterday that this is an occurrence that has dodged the national fisheries in Venezuela and Guyana in the neighbouring waters.
The procedures have not yet been settled, but an action plan and its consideration has been adopted and by September 10, the technical bodies dealing with this problem would be meeting to conclude such considerations.
It is intended that a formal agreement on how both sides would deal with the issue would be embraced.

FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENDED
Meanwhile, Cabinet has commended Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett on the successful execution of the planned state visit of the Venezuelan president.
According to Luncheon, the high point of the visit was felt to be the output of the fifth meeting of the Guyana/Venezuela high level bilateral commission and the effectiveness of the bilateral drug agreement between the two countries.
Also of importance was the mutual abolition of visas and the telecommunication agreement between the neighbouring states, and in the economic realm, a consideration of the revised version of the Petrocaribe Agreement which would include requests by Guyana for increases in the traded commodities.
In the trade and economic sector, also discussed was the rice and paddy export being optimised to Venezuela that would include direct export routes to that country.

Luncheon said bilateral and service agreements and links to increased interconnectivity between the two countries was another high point. Maritime transport to the Eastern Caribbean as well as to CARICOM was also noted.
“The joint declaration that was issued at the end of the visit reflected shared views of the two nations on the accelerated progress that was being made to enhance the cooperation, the friendly relationships between the two countries,” Luncheon said.