Kamla supports Guyana against Venez. territorial claims

Jul 04, 2015 News

– willing to help with oil exploration, energy
Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, says that her country is in full support of Guyana as it relates to recent decree made by Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, over most of Guyana’s exclusive

President David Granger meets Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad- Bissessar in Barbados.

economic zone.
According to the Trinidadian leader, the decree is illegal as it is clearly in contravention of the International Law of the Sea, and it is in this regard her country will remain steadfast to President David Granger’s call to have the decree withdrawn.
President Granger met the T&T Leader on the sidelines of the ongoing heads of Government summit of CARICOM being held in Barbados.
“Trinidad and Tobago fully supports Guyana with respect to the border dispute. We have gone a step further, we have always had discussions with Guyana and we offered to assist in any way that we can by having dialogue at the bilateral or multilateral level,” the Prime Minister is quoted as saying a Government statement yesterday.
Persad-Bissessar reiterated that at this point in time she is pleased to see the support being offered to Guyana, by the United Nations, the Commonwealth and CARICOM since the impact of the decree is far reaching.
“Guyana should find the support because it (the decree) is in violation of the rule of law, and we are looking at the impact on the Eastern Caribbean.”
The Prime Minister pledged her country’s continued support to Guyana even with its newest oil exploration project.
Support is also being offered in the area of energy and an invitation has been extended to President Granger to visit Trinidad to hold further discussion on this subject.
Meanwhile, Persad-Bissessar stated that she will be in talks with Venezuela with the aim of making dialogue possible with Guyana.
She stated that even though the situation seems to have gone beyond the point of dialogue, it is her belief that discussion is the best way forward.
As it relates to on-going projects with CARICOM countries and Venezuela, the Trinidad Prime Minister said these are moving ahead smoothly; she does not see any reason why her support for Guyana would affect these projects.
The Venezuelan decree not only claims sea space belonging to Guyana, but also of Trinidad, Suriname and Barbados.
However, Guyana is most affected as United States Company ExxonMobil exploration which is operating in the Stabroek block, falls within the space being claimed by Venezuela.
That country’s claim came shortly after ExxonMobil announced that it had discovered a significant quantity of oil in one of the two wells it was exploring, the Liza -1 well.
Thus far, President Granger has secured the support of the United Nations, Commonwealth and CARICOM on the claims.