On January 4, the presidents of Venezuela and Guyana, Hugo Chávez and Donald Ramotar respectively, discussed matters of mutual interest over the phone.
According to a press release from the Venezuelan Foreign Office, Chávez expressed “his readiness to strengthen political, economic and social relations between two brotherly peoples, and his willingness to join efforts to achieve that end”.
Guyana’s president Donald Ramotar
For his part, President Ramotar thanked the president for the invitation he received to visit Venezuela as president-elect on the occasion of the summit to establish the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CLACS). He explained that he was not able to attend the meeting because the date coincided with his inauguration as president. He also expressed his desire to improve relations between the two countries.
Chávez promised that he “will always be mindful of relations with Guyana”. Relations between the two countries had been tense over the years owing to Caracas claiming Essequibo. Last year, Guyana’s move to the United Nations to extend its continental shelf by 150 miles angered the neighbouring country, with that government signalling its intentions to take actions to protect its maritime front.
“The Bolivarian government, acting responsibly, has started to assess such an irregular situation to give a right answer under international law, and it is taking the necessary action to preserve the law in its own right with regard to the extent of its maritime front,” Venezuela’s eluniversal. comonline news had reported.
Ramotar had promised to continue building on the good relations between Guyana and its South American neighbours after being elected back in November. “We will pursue a policy that will promote peace in the region and in the world, and we are ready to promote a policy that will help our people to live together and understand each other,” Ramotar said.
Ramotar had also assured that he will continue to build on the foundation for diplomatic cooperation, which was laid by his predecessor with Venezuela and Guyana’s other neighbours.
“We are moving towards a period where we are trying to get more integration within South America… I see also that we can have a unique role in this, in the sense that we can act like a bridge between the Caribbean and South America… bring the whole region together and help with the integration process,” Ramotar said.
Guyana/Venezuela relations have in the past been restricted to border issues, but both countries are now forging ahead with cooperation agreements on energy and agriculture. After fruitful discussions with former President Bharrat Jagdeo and a delegation that visited the Bolivarian Republic in July 2010, the Venezuelan government had offered to increase the quantity of oil shipped to Guyana as obtained under the Petrocaribe agreement.
