Moscow. December 15. INTERFAX.RU – Guyana and Venezuela agreed during negotiations over the territorial dispute over Essequibo that neither country would threaten or use force against the other under any circumstances, local media reported.
“Guyana and Venezuela will not, directly or indirectly, threaten or use force against each other under any circumstances, including those arising from any existing differences between the two states,” the media writes, citing a joint communique following the meetings of the Presidents of Guyana Irfaan Ali and Venezuela Nicolas Maduro, held in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
It is noted that the parties also agreed to continue the dialogue.
“Both states agreed to meet again in Brazil within the next three months or at another agreed time to consider any issue having implications for the disputed territory,” the document notes.
In addition, the presidents agreed to create a joint commission of foreign ministers and technical experts to resolve issues on Essequibo.
On December 14, 2023, in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the President of Guyana and the President of Venezuela held discussions on Essequibo, a subject of dispute between the two countries.
The crisis between Venezuela and Guyana has escalated in recent years following the discovery of oil and gas fields in Guyanese territorial waters, which are also claimed by Venezuela. In particular, Caracas opposes Georgetown issuing permits to oil companies to drill in these waters.
On December 3, a referendum was held in which Venezuelan citizens voted in favor of Essequibo joining the country. After this, Guyana began to prepare for a possible invasion by Venezuela.
The differences between Venezuela and Guyana are causing concern in the region, where countries are calling on the conflicting parties to prevent escalation. Thus, Brazilian President Lula da Silva called on Maduro to refrain from “unilateral measures” that could aggravate the border dispute.
According to the Brazilian presidential office, “Lula stressed the importance of avoiding unilateral measures that could aggravate the situation” and warned of growing concerns in this regard in countries in the region.
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2023-12-15 02:57:00
