Opposition leaders says

WITH a meeting between President Dr Irfaan Ali and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, expected today, Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, said that it is his hope that this meeting will result in peace between the two countries.

Norton made these remarks during the 69th sitting of the 12th Parliament, where he rose to give the opposition’s support for dialogue that focuses on bilateral issues between Guyana and Venezuela.

Against this backdrop, he told the house that President Ali had briefed him, and at that time, he also noted that he was supportive of dialogue between the two nations.

Added to this, Norton highlighted the recent resolution that was passed in the assembly and stated that members support the government in pursuit of ensuring a peaceful and lawful resolution of the controversy before the International Court of Justice and reject the proposal to return to any form of dialogue on the controversy outside of the process before the court, to which the opposition agreed.

He said, “It is in that context when I spoke with the President, I said to him that we agree that there should be an engagement that is aimed at bringing peace and deescalating the conflict, we believe we were on good ground and we continue to be on good ground.”

Further to this, he indicated that the opposition wishes to state that they expect that whatever discussions are to occur should not involve the border controversy, but should focus on bilateral issues, as he indicated, “It is our sincere hope that the summit will result in peace.”

Norton added that they believe that there is a place for dialogue and, as such, he hopes that there is a movement toward peace and the de-escalation of conflict without compromising Guyana’s position on the border case.

Meanwhile, President, Dr Irfaan Ali has made it clear that going into today’s high-level meeting which is expected to take place in St Vincent & the Grenadines facilitated by the Prime Minister of St Vincent, Ralph Gonsalves that the border controversy is not on the table for discussion.

In a letter to Gonsalves, Dr Ali noted that this would not be up for discussion as the case is squarely before the International Court of Justice and further sought to correct inaccuracies that were being peddled by the Venezuelan president.