-PM Gonsalves sees value in Presidents Ali, Maduro meeting

PRIME Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, has maintained that in order to promote peace and security, it is vital for leaders in conflict to be engaged in dialogue.
He made these remarks on Saturday night during an impromptu press conference, hours after he brokered a meeting between Guyana’s President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, amid rising tensions on the ensuing border controversy.

“Today, I can’t answer what is going to be the outcome [of the meeting]. What I do know with certainty is that it is better for people in conflict to be talking,” the Prime Minister said.
On Friday, during an emergency meeting of the Heads of Government of CARICOM, they urged President Ali “to explore the possibility of a meeting with President Maduro,” to discuss the border issue.

But President Ali made it clear that the border controversy is squarely before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a final and binding ruling.

Subsequently, on Saturday, the Commander-in-Chief was approached by Dr Gonsalves to meet with President Maduro on December 14, in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
President Ali has since agreed to have this meeting.

The meeting will be hosted by Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Heads of State of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), a United Nations Under-Secretary General and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

At Saturday’s press conference, Dr Gonsalves said, “It is very easy in a matter like this for persons to vent… but that does not aid a solution. The fact of the matter is, our region has been and is a zone of peace and we would like to keep it like this. If opened to conflict…the implications are horrendous…”

He highlighted that the disruption within the zone of peace would negatively affect everyone even in the “most distant villages in our Caribbean and Latin America” regions.
“I don’t think I can put it any higher than that, so we are making all the requisite preparations to host this meeting…” he stated.

Asked about the value of the meeting given President Ali’s stance, Dr Gonsalves said, “Many things need to be addressed and the matter of the commitment to international law, the commitment to maintain the region as a zone of peace and not to go to open conflict, all are of great importance and I’m sure when leaders sit down, they will search for modalities to maintain the peace.

“I see great value for the communication.”

Dr Ali has consistently reiterated that Guyana has always been committed to international peace and security and will not deviate from and will strictly adhere to the ICJ process in the resolution of the border controversy.