PRIME MINISTER FREUNDEL STUART and President of Guyana, David Granger, recently held a bilateral meeting on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss matters of mutual interest.
President Granger took the opportunity to update Stuart on developments regarding the territorial dispute with Venezuela since August.
He said he met with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, during the course of the General Assembly.
Granger said the two countries had agreed, among other things, to ensure their respective ambassadors took up their posts in Georgetown and Caracas. He reiterated his country’s view that the controversy could only be usefully addressed by a juridical settlement.
Prime Minister Stuart stated his understanding of Guyana’s position, whose entire development had been threatened for over 50 years by the intermittent recurrence of the border issue.
He said that Barbados fully understood Guyana’s preference for the settlement of the controversy with Venezuela, and he had communicated this view to the Vice President of Venezuela when the latter visited Barbados in August.
Stuart underlined Barbados’ and CARICOM’s continued support of Guyana as it sought the best way to address the controversy, and Granger indicated that he valued greatly this support.
The President also agreed to continue updating Barbados and CARICOM countries on the border controversy.
The two leaders went on to discuss bilateral matters, and both agreed the relationship between Barbados and Guyana was on a good footing. (BGIS)
