Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge on Wednes-day met with the Deputy US Secretary of State John J Sullivan in Washing-ton, D.C. and among the topics discussed were this country’s upcoming elections and safety and security in light of instability in Venezuela.
US State Department Deputy Spokes-person Robert Palladino was quoted as saying:?
“Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan met (Wednesday) with Guyanese Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge in Washington, D.C. Both leaders commended the strength of the U.S.-Guyana partnership, and Deputy Secretary Sullivan affirmed Guyana’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its Exclusive Economic Zone. They also discussed preparations for Guyana’s upcoming national elections as well as the importance of U.S.-Guyana cooperation for Guyana’s safety and security in light of instability in neighboring Venezuela”.
In its own statement later in the day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “The Foreign Minister and Deputy Secretary of State committed to further strengthening the US- Guyana bilateral relationship and to exploring areas for deeper cooperation, with particular regard to the energy, security and development sectors. The Deputy Secretary of State reaffirmed US support for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, including sovereign rights in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), in light of Venezuela’s recent interception of an ExxonMobil contracted vessel conducting seismic surveys in Guyana’s maritime space.
“The Foreign Minister and the Deputy Secretary also discussed preparations for upcoming national elections in Guyana”.
The meeting in Washington will be seen as significant on several fronts. First, amid the dispute over the legality of the December 21 no-confidence motion, Washington is signalling its awareness of likely early general elections.
Second, the reference in the foreign ministry’s statement about Venezuela’s recent interception of an ExxonMobil-contracted vessel in Guyana’s waters coupled with the US spokesman’s statement of cooperation for Guyana’s “safety and security” will likely be seen as a measure of comfort to Georgetown particularly as it relates to the operations of ExxonMobil.
