Venezuela engaging in effort to delay ICJ’s judgment on merits of border case

Jun 09, 2022 News

— Foreign Affairs Ministry

Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Guyana has reason to believe that Venezuela is engaged in an effort to delay the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the merit of the border case.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Hugh Todd

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed that it received a letter from the Registrar of the ICJ, advising that the Government of Venezuela has submitted preliminary objections to the admissibility of the case before the Court regarding the Arbitral Award of October 3, 1899 (Guyana versus. Venezuela).
The Ministry said that it recognises that the Rules of Procedure of the ICJ allow for such an objection to be lodged and considered by the Court, and that, as a consequence, the proceedings on the merits of the case are suspended until the Court rules on the preliminary objections.
The Guyana Government, the Ministry said, will submit its observations as soon as the Court advises of the time by which it expects to receive them.
The Ministry emphasised that, at all times, Guyana has steadfastly adhered to the rules of international law and the rules and procedures of the ICJ with regard to this matter, and “we will continue to do so.”
Observing that Venezuela had previously not recognised the jurisdiction of the Court to consider the case, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation also noted that, by submitting an objection at this advanced stage of the proceedings before the ICJ, the “Venezuelan Government is patently engaging in an effort to delay the Court’s judgment on the merits of the case. Nonetheless, by its action, the Venezuelan government now joins the judicial process which Guyana had always urged it to do – a step that Guyana welcomes, confident of the validity of its position on the merits of the case,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

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