Guyana Asks Ban Ki-moon to Mediate Territorial Dispute with Venezuela Latin American Herald Tribune June 11, 2015
SAN JUAN – Guyana’s new government has asked UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to intervene in the country’s long-running territorial dispute with Venezuela.
Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge has conveyed the request to Ban, the administration that took office after last month’s elections said Thursday.
“Notwithstanding the fact that an international boundary settlement already exists in the form of the Arbitral Award of 1899, a juridical settlement in respect of Venezuela’s contention that this award is null and void appears to be the best if not the only way now open to us,” Greenidge told the House of Assembly.
The Guyanese government’s approach to Ban followed a May 27 decree from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro issued on May 27 a decree unilaterally extending his country’s sovereignty to waters off the coast of the Essequibo region, where a subsidiary of U.S.-based ExxonMobil has found a significant oil deposit.
Prior to the decree, Venezuela had twice written to Exxon unit Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. warning against continued exploration for hydrocarbons in the area.
The warnings from Caracas provoked strong objections from Guyana.
Venezuela wants to initiate a dialogue with Guyana on Essequibo, Maduro said earlier this week.
An Exxon platform began exploratory drilling at the Stabroek Block off Guyana in early March under a $200 million, 10-year agreement between the oil supermajor and Georgetown.
The Stabroek Block sits off the coast of Essequibo, a 160,000-sq.-kilometer (61,780-sq.-mile) area that is administered by Guyana and makes up more than half of its territory, but which Venezuela has claimed as its own since the 19th century.
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