Better to offer Brazil an oil block- Professor Kirton

Last Updated on Monday, 10 April 2023, 22:24 by Denis Chabrol

Guyana should be more strategic and offer neighbouring Brazil an oil block as part of its border strategy, according to International Relations Professor Mark Kirton.

He was speaking at the launch of his most recent publication titled ‘Building Bridges in The Amazon- Guyana Brazil Relations Into the 21st Century”. “I argue in the book for consideration to be given for negotiating with Brazil for an oil block, as a country, especially in the changing geopolitical and geo-economic environment in which we find ourselves,” he said.

In the  book, the noted Caribbean academic argues a case for Guyana to give serious consideration to Brazil which already has experience in the oil and gas sector, is a regional leader and strategic partner, and a major actor in the current geopolitical  environment. Professor Kirton said  Brazil could “serve to counterbalance any aggressive intent in the immediate regional neighbourhood and serve as an important player in the stability of he new sector”.

The former lecturer at the University of Guyana and the University of the West Indies said  providing Brazil with an oil block would be more advantageous. “Some might argue that a strategic direction could be charted with that type of consideration rather than looking at extra-regional bilateral engagements in terms of the oil blocks,” he said.

He suggested  that Guyana would be better off providing an oil block to Brazil rather than making good on promises to India and the United Kingdom (UK).

Professor Kirton said there was a role for Guyana and Brazil to collaborate in the area of energy security as well as rice and soya.