- No retreating of Guyana’s position on Essequibo: Ali
President Irfaan Ali firmly conveyed to the Venezuelan President during their meeting in St. Vincent that Guyana is resolute in its position before the International Court of Justice, asserting that the Essequibo region rightfully belongs to Guyana.
“The matter must be settled before the ICJ, and we remain unyielding in presenting and defending Guyana’s case and expecting the ICJ to rule on its merits. I made it clear that the process leading to the ICJ is part of the Geneva agreement and that the UN Secretary General decides where the controversy must be resolved, and the UN SG chose the ICJ within the Geneva Agreement”.
During a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Ali said that Guyana and its people are law-abiding and have no aspirations other than to foster peaceful coexistence with Venezuela.
“I made it very clear that within the sovereign space of Guyana, we will continue to do everything that promotes the development and advancement of our people and all the partnerships necessary to ensure the defence of our borders in accordance with international law.”
Ali said that both sides have committed to maintaining regional peace.
“In keeping with the invitation, which sought to ensure dialogue on consequential issues rather than the issue before the ICJ, that dialogue is an understanding of how we move forward in the next phase of these meetings. Both sides pledged to maintain peace in the area”.
“We agree with regional partners that peace is the goal and that any threat or use of force must be opposed and every party held accountable. Ali clarified that Guyana is not the aggressor and does not desire conflict, but would collaborate with allies to defend our nation”.
