Brasilia, (Reuters) - The Brazilian government has expressed concern following Venezuela's complaint about the deployment of a British warship near the coast of Guyana, escalating tensions in the ongoing border dispute over the oil-rich Esequibo region. The warship, HMS Trent, was due to arrive in Guyana on Friday morning, prompting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to criticize the deployment for breaching an agreement between Venezuelan and Guyanese authorities.

In response to the situation, the Brazilian foreign ministry issued a statement emphasizing the importance of avoiding military demonstrations to allow the dialogue process to yield positive outcomes. Brazil urged all parties involved to exercise restraint and resume negotiations.

The deployment of the Royal Navy patrol vessel has raised concerns among Western diplomats, who have called on Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to help ease tensions in the Guyana border dispute. President Lula da Silva has maintained friendly relations with President Maduro.

The disputed Esequibo territory, covering an area of 160,000 square kilometers (62,000 square miles), is predominantly recognized as part of Guyana. However, Venezuela has recently revived its claim to the region, as well as to offshore areas, following significant oil and gas discoveries.

Earlier this month, Venezuela and Guyana reached an agreement, named the "Argyle Declaration for Dialogue and Peace," to avoid the use of force and the escalation of tensions in the border dispute. Brazil commended this agreement as a milestone in peaceful efforts to address the issue.

Brazil's statement also highlighted that both Venezuela and Guyana committed to working together to prevent any incidents on the ground and to refrain from taking unilateral measures that could lead to a further escalation of the situation.

The UK defense ministry had previously announced that HMS Trent's visit to Guyana was part of a series of engagements in the region, without explicitly referring to Venezuela or the border dispute.

As tensions continue to rise in the border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, Brazil's call to contain military demonstrations and resume dialogue is seen as a crucial step towards de-escalating the situation and finding a peaceful resolution to the Esequibo conflict.