LONDON, CMC- The United Kingdom Secretary of State, David Cameron, says that the Minister for Americas and the Caribbean, David Rutley, will visit Guyana “in the coming days” as part of the efforts by London to ensure that Guyana maintains its sovereignty over the disputed mineral rich Essequibo region that Venezuela is also claiming.
The Essequibo region makes up about two-thirds of Guyana and is home to 125,000 of the country’s 800,000 citizens.
In a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cameron, a former British prime minister, said that the statement by Venezuela in St Vincent that “it will refrain from the use of force and any further escalation is welcome.”
Cameron said that “concrete actions must follow it” and that London “supports efforts by the Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, to promote peace in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Sovereign borders must be respected,” he said, adding, “The UK will continue to work with our partners in the region and internationally to ensure respect for Guyana’s sovereignty.
“Minister for the Americas and the Caribbean David Rutley will visit Guyana in the coming days to further show our support for the Guyanese people on this vital issue,” he wrote on X.
Last Thursday, Guyana and Venezuelan leaders ended a day of talks in St. Vincent, agreeing “directly or indirectly” not to threaten or use force against one another in any circumstances as they continue to seek a resolution to the border dispute between them.
The Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela, issued following talks here between President Dr. Irfaan Ali and President Nicolas Maduro over the disputed Essequibo region, also indicated that the two countries agreed that “any controversies” between them will be resolved by international law, including the Geneva Agreement dated February February 17
The declaration noted Guyana’s assertion that it is committed to the process and procedures of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the resolution of the border controversy, as well as noting Venezuela’s assertion of its lack of consent and lack of recognition of the ICJ and its jurisdiction in the border controversy.
The two countries have agreed to establish a joint commission of foreign ministers and technical persons immediately from the two countries to address matters as mutually agreed upon. Ali and Maduro “have agreed to meet again in Brazil, within the next three months, “or at another agreed time, to consider any matter with implications for the territory in dispute, including the update mentioned above of the joint commission.”
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