New Delhi: India's Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday said the border issue between Guyana and Venezuela should be resolved peacefully and escalatory steps avoided, noting that New Delhi is closely following the developments of the Guyana-Venezuela border issue. India's reaction comes amid the rising tension between Guyana and Venezuela over a territorial dispute.
In a statement, the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We are closely following the developments of the Guyana-Venezuela border issue. We are aware that the matter is already being considered by the International Court of Justice". "We believe the issue should be resolved peacefully and escalatory steps avoided. We welcome the recent regional diplomatic initiatives on the issue", the MEA added.
According to sources, Tensions have been mounting between Venezuela and Guyana in recent weeks due to a long-running border dispute over Esequibo, an area in Guyana where massive discoveries of offshore oil and gas have been made. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro also proposed a government meeting to send a Bill to the National Assembly for the creation of a ‘Guyana Esequiba’ province.
Meanwhile, President Maduro will be meeting his Guyana counterpart Mohamed Irfaan Ali on December 14 in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where they will be accompanied by Grenadines PM Ralph Gonsalves. According to the Venezuelan govt, the meeting is aimed at preserving the aspiration to maintain Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.
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