Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and her Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro Moros made a joint recommendation yesterday for the appointment of a new personal representative to help advance the search for a solution in the border controversy between the two South American neighbours.

They made the recommendation when they met with United Nations  Secretary-General  Ban Ki-moon yesterday in New York to brief him on recent developments on the issue. Reports have said that the nominee is Jamaican Norman Girvan. If approved he would succeed the late Barbadian Oliver Jackman. In a joint press statement, Ministers Rodrigues-Birkett and Moros reaffirmed their commitment to the Good Offices process under the auspices of the UN within the framework of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

The Ministers expressed their determination to work towards a peaceful resolution of the controversy and renewed their commitment to strengthening the relations existing between their two countries, the statement said.

They also welcomed the Secretary-General’s personal commitment to assisting the two countries and his undertaking to appoint a new personal representative to advance the process.