The APNU Column…FOCUS ON APNU’S FOREIGN POLICY

Apr 15, 2012 News

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Given territorial claims by both Venezuela and Suriname to parts of our country it is absolutely necessary that safeguarding our sovereignty and territorial integrity remain central to our foreign policy.
APNU wishes to unequivocally restate that on the issue of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government, the Alliance for Change and all Guyanese on the issue of our legitimate right to all 83,000 square miles of Guyana. On this issue there is ONE GUYANA.
Despite the unjustified claims by both Venezuela and Suriname we believe that the continued development of mutually respectful and beneficial relations with our immediate neighbours is critical. Given all the concessions that the PPPC Government was constrained to make with respect to all of Suriname’s demands prior to the commencement of the ferry service between our two countries we trust that the Government will exhibit more diplomatic skills when negotiations on the Corentyne  bridge agreement commences.
APNU recommends and history demands that our Guyana Defence Force once again attain a capacity that can enhance our diplomatic leverage and economic activities. Had the GDF that capacity in June 2000, it would have been able to repel the unlawful attack by Suriname’s gunboats on the CGX oil rig which was operating within our territorial waters. This incapacity of our GDF delayed our oil exploration in that area by seven long years.
This PPPC Government must, as a matter of high priority, deal frontally with the “back track” operation between Guyana and Suriname. By turning the “Nelson eye” to this operation the Government has in fact “erased” that part of our eastern border.
We wish to remind this Government that the unhindered flow of criminals, illegal immigrants, uncustomed goods, undeclared gold and illegal drugs and guns are as much a threat to our sovereignty and territorial integrity as are the unjust claims of Venezuela and Suriname.
TRADE AND INVESTMENT
In our 2011 Manifesto we identified “encouraging diversification of Guyana’s trade and investment relations with the rest of the world so as to reduce its vulnerability to external economic shocks” as one of our major policy frameworks. We are therefore pleased that the promotion of trade and investment is also listed in the 2012 Budget as a priority of the Government’s Foreign Policy.
For the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take the lead role in enhancing Guyana’s trade and investment the staff both at our overseas missions and at Takuba Lodge has to be of the highest caliber.
When the PPPC took office in 1992 the Ministry was staffed with highly qualified diplomats at our overseas missions and at the Ministry. Indeed, our foreign service was the envy of our CARICOM sister countries and further afield. Guyana led and the rest of CARICOM followed.
Lamentably, one of the first tasks of the new PPPC Government in 1992 was the wholesale removal of our High Commissioners, Ambassadors and other diplomatic staff at our foreign missions. The removal of these sixty-nine persons resulted in the near destruction of this critical Ministry.
The PPPC “coup de grace” of this near destruction was the appointment of Mr. Clement Rohee as its Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Given the global economic rearrangements that have seen the emergence of the “BRICS” countries, APNU believes that it is absolutely imperative that our missions in Brazil and India be headed by our most accomplished and highly skilled diplomats who can take a lead role in enhancing trade and investment between our countries. We therefore call for the immediate removal of Ambassador Kellawan Lall and High Commissioner Ronald Gajraj.
These two missions are too critical to be used as rewards for disgraced PPPC party loyalists. We call on the government to consider the establishment of a mission in South Africa which mission can also be used to advance trade and investment with other African counties many of whom have fast growing economies.
THE UNITED NATIONS AND CARICOM
We are happy that the Government has finally appointed a permanent Ambassador to the United Nations. We call on the Government to act now to actually implement many of the conventions and treaties that they have acceded to.
This government’s deliberate policy of “selling”  the signing of Conventions, Protocols and Trade and Investment Agreements as actual implementation continues to result in a huge “implementation deficit” which is of great concern to APNU.
We note that the Heads of Government of CARICOM are scheduled to deliberate on a critical five-year strategy plan for CARICOM at the upcoming 33rd meeting of the Conference scheduled for July 2012 in St. Lucia. We urge that there be meaningful consultations between Government and Opposition on this plan prior to the July meeting.
RECOMMENDATIONS
APNU’s recommendations for our Foreign Relations Policy include:
1. The establishment of formal engagements between the Government and the Opposition on all matters relating to Guyana’s Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity.
2.  The immediate regularizing of the “back track” crossing between Guyana and Suriname.
3. The enhancement of the Guyana Defence Force.
4. The restoration of the principle of regular rotation of our overseas based diplomats.
5. The resuscitation of our Foreign Service Institute.
6.The investment in the training of a cadre of bright, young and patriotic Guyanese who will be second to none in the diplomatic arena thereby enabling the Ministry to be a major tool for the development of Guyana.

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