THE United Nations (UN) Representative on the Guyana and Venezuela border controversy, Ambassador Dag Halvor Nylander is expected to arrive in Guyana next week.

This is according to Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow, who spoke to Guyana Chronicle on the sideline of the 2017 Heads of Missions Conference, which opened here on Monday at the Pegasus Hotel. “Well we expect him at some point next week. I can’t confirm the precise day or the programme,” Ambassador Ten-Pow told this newspaper.

Ambassador Ten-pow noted that Mr. Nylander – a Norwegian diplomat, who will be coming here to “listen,” will meet with the Venezuelan authorities before arriving here.

“He is going first to Venezuela and then coming here, just to maintain a balance. I think in previous missions of the UN, they came first to Guyana and then to Venezuela. Now this time it’s going to be Venezuela first, followed by Guyana,” Ambassador Ten-Pow noted.

The Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN said too that the Norwegian Diplomat’s visit forms part of his plan of action. “He has a plan of action, and this first visit corresponds to the first phase of that plan, which is basically to listen to the two parties.”

In February, the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, appointed Mr. Nylander his Personal Representative on the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela – a move which was welcomed by Guyana.

President David Granger had said that the appointment was a positive move. “We are confident that the appointee can do his job and we will abide by the Terms of Reference and the conditions that have been laid down by the United Nations’ Secretary-General,” the President had said.

He said Guyana will continue to engage the UN through confidence-building measures, while at the same time, doing whatever is possible to advance the process to enable the Secretary-General to make a decision about the juridical course of action requested by the country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, had made a presentation at the Ministerial Conference on the impact that the territorial controversy has had on investments in Guyana, President noted.

“The threats that we have experienced over the years to our territorial integrity have been disincentives for foreign investors. We believe that the UN, taking a stand, is an indication that the matter will be brought to some form of closure by the end of this year and we expect that things will be better for Guyanese investment,” the President had said.

As a result of Venezuela’s renewed attempts to claim Guyana’s territory, former UN Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, before demitting office, announced a limited term of one more year for the Good Offices process, following which, if no progress is made, then the International Court of Justice will be the next means of settlement.