Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali says countries must exist “in a peaceful world” as he commented on the ongoing war sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago.
Ali is among a number of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders attending the two-day European Union and the Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC) summit that gets underway on Monday.
Asked by reporters outside the venue for his country’s position regarding the war, Ali said “Guyana has made our view very clear. Our view is that we must leave in a peaceful world and one in which every citizen must enjoy their right of sovereignty, territorial integrity and one in which they build their lives in peace,” he added.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, who is also the CELAC pro tempore president, told reporters, while he is not yet sure “what we will get and how that will be formulated” with regards to the final declaration of the summit on the Russia-Ukraine war, “language in that regard is being discussed.
“There are individual countries which took votes at the United Nations, including our own countries, which condemned the aggression, but there are countries which either abstained or took another position. We have to find language of a consensus which would involve everybody,” Gonsalves said, adding, “we have to find mature diplomacy to resolve this awful tragedy in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Ali said he is hoping the two-day summit would deal with a number of issues, including food security, climate change and the global financial situation.
Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, who is also the CARICOM chairman, said he was looking forward to the debates on climate change.
BRUSSELS, Jul 17, CMC –
CMC/pr/ir/2023