President David Granger said he is prepared to meet with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General (SG) once again to ensure the final resolution of the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.
“I’ve to meet the Secretary-General and if necessary I’ll go meet him again because this monkey has been on our back for 51 years and we hope to go into the new year with a very clear idea that the matter could be resolved under the law,” the President said in response to questions posed to him at a press conference on Friday.
Guyana is awaiting the SG’s decision following the conclusion of another round of dialogue which was facilitated by the SG’s personal representative, Norwegian Diplomat Dag Nylander. Those discussions were concluded in November and the decision will be handed down before the end of 2017.
“As far as the process is concerned we are hopeful that the current Secretary General will do what the previous Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki Moon, had committed to do, that is if there was no satisfactory progress,” the President noted.
The SG has committed to have the matter heard in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if there was no satisfactory resolution to the dialogue.
The decades old controversy between the neighbouring countries began in 1962 when Venezuela claimed the 1899 Arbitral Award, which established the Guyana-Venezuela border, is null and void.
“As far as we’re concerned Guyana has every legal right. There is nothing, the Venezuelans have not been able to advance any evidence to show that the tribunal award was void. We’re confident we’re on good ground.,” the President said reiterating Guyana’s position on the matter.
Guyana has prepared to litigate the matter at the ICJ and has since set aside funds to pay it legal team to defend its territorial integrity in the coming year.
