THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it looks forward to sharing more information on the path ahead with respect to the Guyana –Venezuela border controversy once it receives the decision of the UN Secretary-General (SG), which is expected shortly.

The ministry made the comments in a statement reacting to a Stabroek News editorial of December 31, 2017 titled ’Border Controversy.’
President David Granger in his New Year message also noted that his administration had signalled in the year 2016, that the year 2017 would be spent in setting the settlement of the unlawful and unreasonable claims to our country’s territory on a definite course.

He noted that the United Nations Secretary-General this year is expected to discharge his commitment to setting that course in a manner consistent with justice and international law. “We shall continue to defend every ‘blade of grass’ of our homeland. We shall never cede a centimetre of territory or compromise a tittle of sovereignty.”

Back in September 2017, President Granger had met Secretary-General, António Guterres for an update on the progress that has been made by his Personal Representative, Dag Halvor Nylander, who is mediating the matter. Former UN SG Ban Ki-moon and Mr. Guterres, in keeping with the tenets of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, had agreed that if by the end of December 2017, significant progress had not been made towards arriving at a full agreement for the settlement of the controversy, the ICJ will be the next means of peaceful settlement, unless Guyana and Venezuela jointly request otherwise.

Meanwhile, the ministry observed that the Stabroek News editorial sought to remind readers of the challenges posed by an impending decision by the United Nations Secretary- General. “The paper anticipates an early choice by the secretary-general regarding a means of peacefully resolving the controversy arising from Venezuela’s contention that the 1899 Arbitral Award is null and void.

The editor suggests that Guyanese are awaiting the ‘big news’ with bated breath. And well they might, for this is a very important decision with the potential to put Guyana on a path that will enable us to attract investments — local and foreign — in quantities significant enough to permit the exploitation of our natural resources – not just our oil — so as to have a dramatic impact on our economic and social well-being in the near and foreseeable future,” the ministry said.

The ministry added that the Stabroek News has, over the years, demonstrated that it is one of the few agencies, outside of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a clear grasp of the intricacies of the issues surrounding this controversy and one is often forced to admire the quality of the analysis and deftness of language employed in their pieces.

“It also recognises that the list of options available to the UN Secretary-General includes referral to the ICJ, the inclusion of which was approved by Venezuela in 1966. Contrary to a recent suggestion by a rival newspaper, the UN Secretary-General does have the power to refer this matter to the ICJ. What is more, his letter of December 16th explicitly acknowledges this. That referral does not require Venezuela’s approval beyond that given in the Geneva Agreement of 1966 and acknowledged by their then representative.”

The ministry said the paper is right in calling for more information for the people of Guyana. “We have involved the opposition in our preparations during this final year of a Good Offices process with an enhanced mediation mandate, but rules of confidentiality have bound us beyond that to this stage. 2017 is over. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks forward to sharing more widely the path ahead once we have received the decision of the UN Secretary-General, which we expect shortly.”