The Opposition, A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), in a recent statement has called for a stronger Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Tracing Guyana’s reliance on diplomacy in dealing with the Venezuela controversy APNU+AFC notes that for close to six decades Guyana’s ability to conduct and maintain good relations with Venezuela was in large measure the result of diplomacy being used as our first line of defense and as an active instrument of peace and a positive tool of international economic and political change. It is a policy that Guyanese deserve to have as their principal defense instrument while preparing our army to defend our territorial integrity as a last resort, the APNU+AFC advises.
See full statement below.
NEED FOR A MUCH STRONGER MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
Despite the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela that existed for close to 60 years, our two countries typically enjoyed cordial relations. As far as we know, Guyana wants it to remain that way and the task at hand is to restore cordiality and civility to those relations.
Our ability to conduct and maintain good relations with Venezuela was in large measure the result of diplomacy being used as our first line of defense and as an active instrument of peace and a positive tool of international economic and political change. It is a policy that Guyanese deserve to have as their principal defense instrument while preparing our army to defend our territorial integrity as a last resort.
We also know that diplomacy worked to keep us safe over the years and to enable us to make and keep friends around the world. It was used to give Guyana full membership of the Organization of American States (OAS) when Venezuela denied it membership at independence. It allowed us to work with others in the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement to help dismantle apartheid in Southern Africa and to help many Caribbean countries gain independence. It also helped us to inform countries around the world of our position on the territorial controversy with Venezuela and to join other countries to solve a myriad of difficult global economic, political and social problems. In other words, our diplomacy helped us to maintain influence inside and outside of our region that proved useful when our territorial integrity was under threat.
As we examine our current crisis, that policy and strategy seem to be a shadow of what it used to be. Our foreign service is not as proactive, vibrant and as forward-looking as it once was. Its efficacy seems to have fallen apart. We need to restore it to prevent Venezuela from further advancing its illegal and partisan designs on our territory. We need a robust and sincere approach to rebuilding our diplomatic capabilities in pursuance of the protection of our territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The main function of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Guyana from neighbours that seek to bully us. The role of advocating our diplomatic interest appears to have been taken over by another agency which does not and cannot dedicate the time and effort required to achieve effective diplomatic outcomes.
The Parliamentary Opposition wishes to suggest that it is insufficient for the President and one or two other public officials to prosecute Guyana’s foreign policy. Though foreign policy is his preserve, the stakes are too high and the dangers too great for this nation to rely on the President alone to carry the messages of concern about the threats and dangers that Guyana faces. Our message of goodwill to all must come from many quarters and it is logical to expect this country’s diplomatic service to be at the forefront of such work.
The foregoing is obvious given that Guyana has diplomatic relations with over 150 countries and there is not enough time for the President to engage leaders of those countries on all our diplomatic interests. The government needs to invest in strengthening Guyana’s diplomatic service and empowering it to constantly inform the world about our territorial rights, as well as our domestic interests and investment opportunities. The government needs to tap into all the diplomatic skills available to it.
In the specific case of the existential threat to our territorial integrity posed by Venezuela, we need to see more envoys traversing the world to advance our cause and gain and maintain the support of the international community. The government also needs to put more effort into actively working with key international institutions to advance the security and other interests of Guyana.
