Diplomatic skills, negotiating expertise can avert military conflict- P.J Patterson

SOURCE: Jamaica Gleaner: Former Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson says the Western Hemisphere can now breathe “a welcome sigh of relief” on the outcome of the summit in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which was convened to dispel tensions between Guyana and Venezuela over the disputed Essequibo region.

On Thursday, although the leaders of Guyana and Venezuela failed to reach an agreement on how to address a bitter dispute over the vast border region rich with oil and minerals that has concerned many in the region, they promised in the tense meeting that neither side would use threats or force against the other.

The meeting between the two leaders took place in Argyle in the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent, with various Caribbean leaders attending.

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro agreed to meet again in Brazil within three months or at another agreed-upon time, according to an 11-point Argyle Declaration read at a press briefing late Thursday at which no questions were allowed.

Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali and the President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro shake hands at their meeting in St Vincent. (Photo: Newsroom Guyana)

They also agreed to “refrain, whether by words or deeds, from escalating any conflict”, the declaration said.

The meeting “established several significant precedents which deserve due commendation and indicate a path for the future”, the Jamaican diplomat said.

Patterson outlined that:

• It was a Caribbean initiative which demonstrated the intrinsic value of collective regional action. CARICOM stepped forward in united efforts to face the challenge of preserving the territorial integrity of Guyana, a founding member state and headquarters of the Caribbean Community.

• It demonstrated that in a world of unprecedented turbulence, diplomatic skills and negotiating expertise can still be deployed to avert military conflict.

• It asserts that the Caribbean and Latin America, despite the colonial rivalry and exploitation by European powers, constitute one hemispheric family, which highlights the merits of our full engagement and present leadership of the Community of Latin America and the Caribbean (CELAC).

• We recognize that the far-reaching agreements do not constitute a final settlement, but provide mechanisms to bolster healthy, productive and peaceful relationships between neighbours. It constitutes a model for devising consultative approaches to address other long-standing border disputes in South and Central America.

Patterson said no praise was too high for presidents Ali and Maduro for their preparedness and courage in accepting the terms of the Argyle Declaration.

“Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and current chair of CELAC revealed his astute skills and considerable experience, with extensive support from Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, chairman of CARICOM, and President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, through his trusted emissary, Celso Amorim, who were the principal interlocutors,” said Patterson.

“Commendations are due to all the Caribbean prime ministers who were in attendance, to representatives of the UN Secretary General, CARICOM, and the CELAC Troika, to endorse the declaration and pledge to facilitate its timely implementation.”

He added, “Let us all as citizens of the Caribbean Sea applaud and encourage this bold step to fashion a Caribbean where peace and harmony prevail.”

Tension over the border region of Essequibo has raised worries about a military conflict, though many believe that it is unlikely. Venezuela insists Essequibo was part of its territory during the Spanish colonial period, and argues a 1966 Geneva agreement among Venezuela, Britain and then-British Guiana, now Guyana, nullified a border drawn in 1899 by international arbitrators.

The century-old dispute was recently reignited with the discovery of oil in Guyana. The dispute escalated when Venezuela reported that its citizens had voted in a December 3 referendum to claim two-thirds of their smaller neighbour.

The Argyle Declaration noted the impasse between Ali and Maduro. It said Guyana believes the border controversy should be resolved by the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands, but Venezuela did not consent to that and does not recognise the court or its jurisdiction in the dispute.