President Ali has confirmed that Guyana will not retreat from its position.
The historic face-to-face meeting between President Dr. Irfaan Ali and President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela was in the presence of CARICOM, CELAC, Brazil, and the United Nations.
President Ali reaffirms the country’s commitment to the International Court of
Justice (ICJ)
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has reiterated Guyana’s unwavering stance that the border dispute with Venezuela is appropriately within the International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction. The commitment to maintaining a “zone of peace” between the two nations was affirmed during talks between President Ali and Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, facilitated by CARICOM/CELAC/Brazil and held in the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
President Ali, briefing the media at the Argyle International Airport, disclosed that the discussions were ongoing, with the first phase involving Guyana’s team meeting with CARICOM to emphasize their position on the ICJ’s involvement in the land boundary matter.
In the subsequent meeting, CARICOM engaged with the Venezuelan team led by President Maduro, leading to a historic face-to-face meeting in the third phase, attended by CARICOM, CELAC, Brazil, and the United Nations.
President Irfaan Ali and President Nicolas Maduro
President Ali reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to peaceful coexistence with Venezuela and the entire region during this crucial meeting. He emphasized Guyana’s right to exercise sovereign rights within its territorial space for development, investment, partnership, trade, collaboration, cooperation, licensing, and concession approval.
Notably, President Ali stressed that the resolution of the controversy must occur through the ICJ, following the process outlined in the Geneva Agreement, which empowers the UN Secretary-General to determine the final resolution.
President Ali clarified that while not seeking war, Guyana reserves the right to work with its partners to defend the country, emphasizing that these partnerships are centered on protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty. As the high-level dialogue advances into the next phase, both nations commit to maintaining the region as a “zone of peace.”
President Ali expressed optimism about the potential for dialogue on consequential issues beyond the current ICJ matter, with the specific details of this dialogue set to unfold in the upcoming phase of the meeting.