DPI Exclusive: Protecting Guyana’s sovereignty my main responsibility – Foreign Secretary Greenidge

By Isaiah Braithwaite

DPI, Guyana, Friday, May 17, 2019

The responsibility of the newly appointed Foreign Secretary Carl Greenidge is primarily dedicated to protecting Guyana’s sovereignty full time. This was disclosed by the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge who was this week re-assigned by President David Granger.

During an exclusive interview with the Department of Public Information, Foreign Secretary Greenidge described the responsibility as a prime and urgent concern since Guyana is still dealing with the Venezuela/Guyana border controversy. The matter is presently at the International Court of Justice for a juridical settlement.

“We have communication from the government of Venezuela pertaining to our maritime space and raising questions about activities within our maritime space, even offshore of Demerara and Berbice. So, you do not really get a break to take a breather and settle down, we in the ministry have been working,” Greenidge stated.

Additionally, he said that he is also in the process of renegotiating the Georgetown agreement. That is the agreement that brings 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) to collaborate with the European Union for development.

“We are working on that and there is a meeting of the Trade Ministers in this coming week to be followed by the Council of Ministers. So, my hands are pretty full and the main concern is to make sure that we do not lose any momentum as we do some of the organizational juggling,” Greenidge underscored.

On May 14, government announced that Greenidge was appointed Foreign Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and now has responsibility for the Department of Frontiers and Territorial Integrity and the Department of Trade and Economic Cooperation.

Image: Giovanni Gajie