The Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, expressed on Thursday that “we extend our hand to Guyana to resolve the current territorial dispute”, in compliance with the Geneva Agreement of 1966, during her intervention before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations (UN), in The Hague.
Rodriguez presented Venezuela’s pleadings before a lawsuit filed by Guyana at the ICJ to ratify the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award, one of the reasons for the existing territorial dispute between both nations.
“Guyana and the United Kingdom recognized in 1966 Venezuela’s claim and therefore committed themselves to an amicable solution through their subsequent adherence to the Geneva Agreement,” Rodriguez indicated.
The Venezuelan Vice President reiterated that her country “continues to believe that the Court has no jurisdiction in this case; however, we will demonstrate that Guyana’s claim is inadmissible”.
Among the arguments put forward, Rodriguez pointed out that to settle the dispute requested by Guyana, the United Kingdom, which is “the indispensable party to this claim, is not present”.
Rodriguez’s assertion is based on the fact that the Arbitral Award of 1899, on which Guyana is requesting its ratification, did not include that country at the time but the United Kingdom as a colonial nation.
“Venezuela cannot challenge the rights and obligations of the conduct of a State that is absent in these proceedings,” he said about this context.
Rodriguez indicated that a decision by the ICJ dismissing the claim made “unilaterally” by Guyana “will contribute positively and constructively” to the purpose of an amicable resolution of the territorial dispute.