Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has carefully reviewed some items that have appeared in sections of the electronic media extensively quoting from a letter penned by Mr. Carl Greenidge to His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
The Ministry wishes to state that the portfolio of Agent in litigation of inter-State disputes before international courts and tribunal are normally held by the serving minister responsible for foreign affairs. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic had made it clear in its manifesto that should it be elected to office; it will ensure full inclusivity in the case that the Co-operative Republic of Guyana took to the International Court of Justice against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. The portfolio of Agent requires no special expertise in law since the advocates and counsels contracted are responsible for the preparation of the written and oral pleadings of Guyana. The Agent’s role is to ensure that there are administrative linkages between Guyana, its international lawyers and the International Court of Justice and to be the liaison between the Government and the international legal team on the policy and substantive issues being addressed by that team.
The Agent does not act independently of the Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation or the other members of the local team. He reports to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and is supported by two Co-Agents representing Guyana. They are Sir Shridath Ramphal and Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Ministry wishes to state that the Hon. Minister Hugh Todd recognised that the local team previously assembled under the APNU/AFC administration did not include some key persons who have years of professional knowledge on the Guyana/Venezuela controversy. His Excellency Ambassador Keith George, who served as Head of the Frontiers Department for 12 years prior to being appointed Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, and who spent the past 21 years on matters related to Guyana’s land and maritime boundaries, was excluded. Ambassador George well recognised for the integral role he played in the years leading up to and ending with the arbitration that delimited the maritime boundary with the Republic of Suriname.
Ms. Donnette Streete who has 14 years of experience in the Frontiers Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and is the Department’s current Director was not fully involved in the matter. Ms. Trishala Persaud, who served as Head of the Legal and Treaties Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation before being posted to Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, was also not fully involved in the matter. Several other persons with great knowledge of the boundaries of Guyana because of their background in the security services of Guyana were not invited to provide their inputs. The singular objective of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is to ensure that all available local expertise, specialist and technical support and assistance are made available to Guyana’s international legal team in order for them to access, with ease, the best possible sources of information, experience and ideas on the matter before the International Court of Justice. None of those persons joined the local team at their own bidding. They were each identified and invited by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to lend their support to this preeminent national effort and their involvement has the full support of His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali.
The Ministry wishes to make it clear that the discussions referred to in the letter quoted in the electronic media were not about the case before the International Court of Justice. There was therefore never any reason to question the competence of the international team of lawyers who are not only held in extremely high esteem, but also are regarded as the best that can be put together to represent Guyana’s interests.The Ministry wishes to further state that the timing of the publication of the letter purportedly penned by Mr. Greenidge is peculiar since the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation convened a meeting today, (Tuesday 16 November) with Mr. Greenidge and at which Mr. Ralph Ramkarran and Mr. Robert Persaud, Foreign Secretary of the Ministry, were also present. That meeting was quite cordial and focused on the issues being addressed before the International Court of Justice.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
16 November 2021
