Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Minister for the Americas, Caribbean and Overseas Territories' visit to Guyana in December 2023; and what recent steps his Department has taken to support Guyana in maintaining its territorial integrity.

I [Minister Rutley] visited Guyana on 18 December. I met with President Ali, Foreign Secretary Todd, National Security Advisor Captain Gerry Gouveia, Defence Force Chief of Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and the The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett to show UK support for Guyana's territorial integrity. President Ali strongly welcomed this visit and our ongoing support.

HMS Trent also visited on 29/30 December as a further signal of the UK's support for Guyana's sovereign borders. The UK welcomes the Argyle Declaration signed by Venezuela and Guyana in St Vincent and the Grenadines on 14 December, that makes clear Venezuela is to refrain from the use of force and any further escalation. We continue to work with our partners in the region and internationally to de-escalate tensions and ensure respect for Guyana's sovereignty.