Caricom maritime disputes must be solved with diplomacy

THE EDITOR: I am cautiously optimistic that PM Manning, during his Whitehall meeting with President Bharat Jagdeo recently, diplomatically introduced the question of the December 4 Guyana/Barbados EEZ Co-operation Agreement. I hope that he was appropriately briefed prior to the meeting on the assertion and its adverse implications for TT that the EEZ of both Guyana and Barbados meet and overlap. I trust that President Jagdeo’s hollow assurances that the Treaty would not adversely affect TT and his unconvincing defence and sanitisation of Prime Minister Arthur as the latter’s messenger did not deter or sidetrack our Prime Minister from vigorously defending the national interests.

I also hope the PM requested an advance copy of the EEZ Treaty. President Jagdeo confirmed in the Press Conference as reported in the media previously that Guyana and Barbados claim that their EEZ converge and overlap in the South East of TT. This statement on the Treaty clearly implies illegal encroachment on and a total disregard for the 1990 Maritime Boundary between TT and Venezuela in the south-east from points 20 to 22. With this boundary extending to the continental margins of both TT and Venezuela there is no way that the EEZ of Guyana and Barbados can meet an overlap in this are. This iceberg EEZ Treaty under the misleading facade and tip of promoting co-operation to facilitate exploitation of EEZ marine resources by the Guyana-Barbados flank, is really designed and engineered to nullify and challenge the legal status of the 1990 TT/Venezuela boundary.

It will create chaos and instability to disturb the tranquillity and peace of the seabed and subsoil to the detriment of TT’s offshore hydrocarbon industry. Venezuela’s egress to the Atlantic located north of the national equidistance boundary is now in doubt and being challenged. This may cause mayhem in the seas around us. Prime Minister Arthur is playing with fire and roping in Guyana in his sinister destabilisation agenda while still pandering dishonestly to Caricom solidarity and functional co-operation. Deception has now taken on the face of diplomacy in the Eastern Caribbean. Did Barbados prepare the Guyanese Statement of Claim submitted to the Arbitral Tribunal against Suriname? Meanwhile an advanced copy of the EEZ Treaty must be obtained expeditiously by TT and the strongest protest lodged in the Towns of Bridge and George to protect our interests. Venezuela will not stand by idly as a disinterested observer.

STEPHEN  KANGAL
Caroni