Venezuela rebuts Guyana's application at the UN

Guyana brushes off Venezuela's objection to contentinental shelf extention

Written by Denis Scott Chabrol

Wednesday, 14 March 2012 18:3

Source

Carolyn Rodrigues

Foreign Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues on Wednesday shrugged off Venezuela’s rebuttal of her country’s application to the United Nations (UN) for an extension of its continental shelf.

While she noted the  United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea provides for countries to make their views known, she noted that Venezuela’s assertion that the territory west of the Essequibo River is the subject of a territorial dispute.

“For us, it’s clear that our border was settled by the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award,” she told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com ) .

Asked whether she believed that Venezuela’s rebuttal could become stumbling block to Guyana’s efforts to extend its continental shelf, the Foreign Minister said “we have to see the commission will treat with that.”

She noted that based on the precedent of international law, it is highly unlikely that the decision of an Arbitral Award could be reopened.

Guyana is slated to make a one-hour oral presentation on its application on April 11.

Rodrigues noted that Venezuela’s objection would have implications for the maritime jurisdictions like those of Barbados and, Trinidad and Tobago.

She maintained that Guyana and Venezuela continue to enjoy good relations.

The Guyanese Foreign Minister is expected to have bilateral talks with her Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro, on the sidelines of the UNASUR Foreign Ministers meeting on March 17 in Paraguay.

The United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf could only rule whether a country is eligible for the extension of its shelf but ultimately negotiations would have to be conducted with neighbouring countries.

The purpose of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf is to facilitate the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in respect of the establishment of the outer limits of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Venezuela's objection to Guyana's application has come at a time when the Spanish-speaking nation is heading into an October 7 presidential election that pits incumbent President Hugo Chavez against Henrique Capriles.

"inherited from colonialism"

That is the opening shot by Venezula.  This will end with Venezuelan forces streaming into Guyana  territory after the Keystone pipeline starts to strangle the Venezulan economy.

Dem anti-Chavez peeple start acting up hoping fuh he dead soon, den dem gon jump wid america and kik we da side again.

Is like Carolyn bounce she nose somewhere.

 

 

 

Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro forwarded a report to the UN (File photo:

...of the nose size.