Foreign Minister (MRE) Chaderton Matos: Guyana-Venezuelan relations are quiet in low profile visit

<a href=www.vheadline.com>Venezuela's Electronic News Posted: Wednesday, April 30, 2003 By: Patrick J. O'Donoghue

Venezuelan Foreign Minister (MRE) Roy Chaderton Matos is on a two-day visit to neighboring Guyana where bilateral relations have been less spectacular than relations with Brazil and certainly less dramatic and controversial than those with Colombia. 

During the visit Chaderton Matos says he will meet up with Guyanese Foreign Minster, Samuel Rudolph to discuss topics of common interest and to study concrete proposals of bilateral cooperation. 

Measures already agreed to in earlier bilateral meetings seem to have been placed on a backburner, such as opening a direct commercial flight between eastern Venezuela (Puerto Ordaz) and Georgetown to encourage trade and cultural exchanges. 

The Foreign Minister recalls the friendly atmosphere surrounding  the visit of his predecessor, Colonel (ret.) Luis Alfonso Davila in November 2001 and a high level two-nation commission (COBAN) meeting in Georgetown in February 2002. 

The last time the two countries formally met was in Caracas in October 2002 for another COBAN meeting. Both governments have expressed their will to seek friendly solutions to common problems. 

However, there have been moments of tension over the last few years regarding the alleged presence of Venezuelan National Guard soldiers accused of crossing into Guyana allegedly in hot pursuit of narco-traffickers and secondly, the delicate matter of offshore maritime limits.