Statement of the Commonwealth Ministerial group on Guyana

The Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana was constituted by the Secretary-General in accordance with a mandate given by the Commonwealth Heads of Government in 1999 to monitor “further developments in respect of the existing controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.” Members of the Group are: South Africa (Chair), Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica and the United Kingdom.

At the Fifth Meeting of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers held in New York on 22 September 2006, The Honourable S.R. Insanally, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Guyana, provided an update on developments with respect to relations between Guyana and Venezuela.

Having considered the update provided by Minister Insanally, the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana noted that the high level of engagement which had characterised relations between Guyana and Venezuela in recent years had facilitated the renewal of the commitment of the two countries to the maintenance and enhancement of the bilateral cooperation programme within the framework of the Guyana/ Venezuela High Level Bilateral Commission and the peaceful settlement of the controversy under the aegis of the United Nations Good Offices Process.

The Group reaffirmed its ongoing support for the maintenance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana and its unimpeded right to the development of the entirety of its territory for the benefit of its people.