Guyana legislators have approved GUY$660 million for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to pay for legal fees in the country’s ongoing border dispute with Venezuela.
The matter is now before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and on Monday night the Committee of Supply approved the allocation outlined in the budget presented by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.
During the budget debate, Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd gave assurance that the government will not rest in its efforts to preserve Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Todd said that Guyana has been making all efforts to submit the country’s memorial on the merits of its case by March 8.
Guyana moved to the ICJ with its case in March 2018, challenging the non-participating Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, over its disagreement on the legal validity and binding effect of the October 3, 1899 Award. Venezuela has maintained that the ICJ was without jurisdiction to hear the case and had not participated in the matter.
