Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Guyana President Mohamed Irfaan Ali met on Thursday on the island of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean.
Venezuela and Guyana swear that the border dispute between the countries in the Essequibo region will not be resolved by the use of force. Instead, the dispute is resolved in accordance with international law. The issue was reported in a joint statement by the governments of the countries, local time on Thursday.
President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro and the President of Guyana Mohamed Irfaan Ali met on Thursday on the island of Saint Vincent in the Caribbean.
Venezuela and Guyana agreed that the countries will not “directly or indirectly threaten each other or resort to the use of force against each other under any circumstances,” the statement said.
After the meeting, Ali said that both sides are committed to ensuring that peace is maintained in the region.
He further said that Guyana has the right to lead development and investment in the region. He also reiterated his country’s position that the border dispute must be resolved at the International Court of Justice, the ICJ.
– Guyana is not on the offensive, Guyana does not want war. But we reserve the right to cooperate with our allies to defend our country, Ali said.
The relationship between the two countries has become tense in recent days, as both countries sent their military forces to the border between the two countries.
The dispute between the countries stems from the Essequibo region belonging to Guyana, where oil was discovered in 2015.
Venezuela has sought to annex the Eseequibo region after word of the oil discovery spread.
Sources: AFP, Reuters