President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Venezuela’s President Mr. Nicholas Maduro will meet on Thursday, December 15, in the island state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The meeting was facilitated by that country’s Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and will be observed by representatives from Brazil and CARICOM, and a United Nations Under-Secretary-General. High on the agenda for the meeting is the issue of peace and stability in the region, especially in the context of recent actions taken by Venezuela that threatens such dispensation.

The decision by President Ali to participate in the talks is indicative of the fact that when it comes to peace and stability in the region, he is prepared, as it were, to go the extra mile to make such outcome a reality.

But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango and while Guyana has been doing everything possible to bring about a peaceful resolution to the border controversy, it is the Government of Venezuela that has taken measures that are inimical to the cause of peace and stability in the region and a peaceful resolution of the controversy based on the principle of respect for international law.

This is why it is so important to understand fully the scope and parameters of the talks. President Ali has made it abundantly clear that there will be no talks on the issue of the controversy which is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a determination. According to President Ali, there is no room for compromise on the border issue currently before the ICJ.

This position by President Ali has been reinforced by Sir Shridath Ramphal, who has more than a passing familiarity with the border controversy. According to Sir Shridath, a former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, it is important to have a clear understanding of the limits within which the discussions will take place, emphasising that the ongoing proceedings at the ICJ regarding the border controversy cannot be compromised.

The position by the Heads of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in this regard is instructive. The Heads supported an “appropriate” dialogue between the leaders of Guyana and Venezuela with the objective of ensuring “peaceful co-existence within the framework of respect for international law and the avoidance of the use of, or threats of force.”

As noted by Sir Shridath, it is within those parameters that President Ali’s decision to participate in the discussions has to be seen and appreciated. Such an approach is consistent with the overarching objective of peaceful coexistence and the preservation of the region as a zone of peace.

The whole of Guyana, the Caribbean Community and for that matter the international community is behind Guyana in the protection of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is certainly a plus for Guyana, which has on its side the rule of international law and a legitimate right to its territory by virtue of a final and legally binding agreement of the 1899 Arbitral Award.

By a bizarre twist of logic, Venezuela, which accepted the demarcated boundary for several decades, only saw it fit to revisit the matter after five decades, just before Guyana gained its independence.

There is nothing inherently wrong with talks between neighbours and regional partners, especially on important issues such as regional security, climate change, food and energy security of which Guyana is a major player. But the issue of our sovereignty is a different kettle of tea that can only be determined by the competent authority, which is the International Court of Justice.

The whole of Guyana and the world are watching closely to see what will emerge out of the meeting between the two leaders. However, based on recent experiences with the Maduro administration, expectations have to be sensibly managed, even as we all hope for the best.