President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday met with Government members of the Parliamentary Foreign Relations Sub-Committee after Opposition lawmakers stayed away from the meeting, citing the absence of an agenda.

The meeting, held at the Office of the President, focused on key foreign policy matters, including proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the Third Country National Agreement between Guyana and the United States.

All committee members were invited through the Speaker of the National Assembly to attend the meeting on matters of national importance, the Government said in a release.

The release said that, up to the time of the meeting, Opposition members had neither accepted nor declined the invitation.

APNU said in a separate release that the invitation did not include an agenda and that the party would not attend a meeting without one. WIN also declined the invitation, citing the absence of an agenda.

The Government members who attended welcomed the engagement and expressed a desire for its continuation as part of efforts to advance Guyana’s foreign policy agenda.

President Ali said his Government intended to strengthen its engagement with all parliamentary committees in an open, transparent and accountable manner, the release said.