FOREIGN Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge on Wednesday met with John J. Sullivan, Deputy Secretary of State of the United States of America, in Washington D.C, during which they discussed Venezuela’s recent interception of an ExxonMobil vessel and preparation for national elections here.

In a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both Greenidge and the Deputy Secretary of State committed to further strengthening the US-Guyana bilateral relationship and to exploring areas for deeper cooperation, with particular regard to the energy, security and development sectors.

The Deputy Secretary of State reaffirmed US support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in light of Venezuela’s recent interception of an ExxonMobil contracted vessel conducting seismic surveys in Guyana’s maritime space. The Foreign Minister and the Deputy Secretary also discussed preparations for upcoming national elections in Guyana, the release ended.

Meanwhile, in another release, the Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called on Venezuelan political leaders and citizens to maintain national peace until a return to normalcy. “The Government of Guyana is gravely concerned at the deepening of the political crisis in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and supports calls made at both the regional and international levels for immediate dialogue involving all political and social actors, with a view to the preservation of the democratic process and a return to normalcy,” the ministry stated.

“Guyana calls on all parties to desist from actions that might lead to further violence and loss of lives. The Government of Guyana remains firmly supportive of efforts to resolve the crisis through peaceful means and with full respect for human rights and the rule of law,” the release said. The government now awaits the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Venezuela border controversy and is confident that the ruling will bring an end to the decades-old obstruction to Guyana’s economic development.