Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud has indicated that established systems are in place to provide assistance to Guyanese, particularly students on scholarships, who may need help in light of the recent developments between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian forces have launched a military assault on neighbouring Ukraine, crossing its borders and bombing military targets near big cities.
Guyana has already joined in widespread global condemnation against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, where it is believed that dozens of civilians have been killed, including six in an air strike in Brovary near the capital Kyiv.
When contacted today, Persaud – who is attached to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Guyana – revealed that there are records of 11 Guyanese students in Russia but no records of Guyanese in Ukraine.
“We don’t know of any student in Ukraine and no one has reached out from Ukraine to us, we don’t have any records of students in Ukraine and we don’t know of any Guyanese who reached out from Ukraine. We have eleven students in Russia,” he explained.
Persaud further indicated that there is an established mechanism in place for Guyanese students who are affected by the crisis to reach out to the Guyana Government for help.
So far, the Ministry has not received any requests for assistance.
“There’s a mechanism where all overseas students have been able to contact student offices in different parts and then through the Government, so there is a network and a channel of communication and that’s primarily those at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Public Service Ministry which is responsible for scholarships,” he noted.
In a brief statement, the Guyana Government – through the Foreign Ministry – expressed, “the Government of Guyana condemns the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity by Russia. We call for an immediate cessation of Military action. The Government is now in consultation with our international partners and will issue a full statement before the end of the day.”
