The Foreign Ministers of Guyana and Venezuela will meet in Brasilia next Friday Policy

Essequibo, the disputed area between Guyana and Venezuela – Photo: BBC

Sources at the Planalto Palace said that the Foreign Ministers of Guyana and Venezuela will meet next Friday (26) in Brasilia.

The meeting, which will be mediated by Brazilian Chancellor Mauro Vieira, takes place amid the dispute over the Essequibo region.

Venezuela claims to be the true owner of the territory, a 160-square-kilometre area that represents about 70% of Guyana's entire area and crosses six of the country's ten states. The region is rich in natural resources.

The Brazilian government says it is following with concern developments in the conflict around the Essequibo region

The holding of a referendum last year reignited the decades-long conflict and fear of armed conflict on the border with Brazil.

The foreign ministers' meeting in Brasilia this week precedes the meeting between the presidents of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, and Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, also scheduled to be held in the Brazilian capital.

According to sources at Palacio do Planalto, the meeting should not specifically address the region. The meeting represents an effort mediated by Brazil to restore confidence between the two countries and discuss broader cooperation and a more open channel between them.