Guyana to engage in cooperation talks with Suriname

President Bharrat Jagdeo

Thursday, November 25, 2004

GEORGETOWN, Guyana: The historical border issue between Guyana and Suriname is no reason for the countries to cease cooperation and in this context Guyana's President Bharrat Jagdeo will hold cooperation discussions with his Suriname counterpart in March next year. 

Jagdeo is expected to continue talks on initiatives already on stream, but on which not much progress has been made, when he meets Suriname President Ronaldo Venetiaan at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government meeting in March 2005 in Suriname . 

Jagdeo made this disclosure when he addressed participants and spectators, including Surinamese golfers, at the Banks DIH Golf Tournament last weekend at the Lusignan Golf Course. 

The President told the Surinamese that the media in both countries have often portrayed a picture that suggests the citizens do not get along. 

“We in Guyana have never had a negative image of Suriname …sometimes you feel that people from the countries are just out to get each other. That is not so,” he said. 

The President acknowledged that the two countries do not see eye to eye on an historical border issue, but that is no reason for them not to pursue other bilateral engagements. 

“Here we believe that we are two poor countries and we have historical difficulties that need to be resolved. The only way, the only solution is a peaceful solution. And that is why we have initiated some action sometime ago and hopefully, through that action, this historical difficulty would be resolved in a peaceful and amicable manner to both parties,” he said. 

Guyana and Suriname have an existing dispute on its maritime borders and despite Guyana’s and CARICOM's diplomatic efforts and bilateral engagements to resolve this amicably, no positive results were yielded. 

No agreement was even reached when efforts were made to delimit the maritime zone based on the principles of international law contained in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as well as efforts to establish a Special Zone for Sustainable Development in order to allow for joint exploration and exploitation pending settlement of the maritime boundary. 

Consequently, Guyana invoked the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and presented a claim on the disputed territory on February 24 last, making arbitration compulsory. 

“We will present our case and let the Tribunal make a decision, which we would both have to live with, but I think that we need to cooperate because borders should not divide our people,” President Jagdeo said. 

He noted that since 1994, Guyana has had discussions with Surinamese' Minister of Finance and Planning on a road from Nickerie. The President said, earlier this year he met President Venetiaan in Trinidad and Tobago and his counterpart gave the assurance that “the road will be built.” 

He explained that even if Guyana builds the road up to its border and the one from Nickerie is not constructed, then travel will still be hampered. 

According to President Jagdeo, travel from Suriname to Guyana would improve shortly though, with the local Administration resurfacing the road from New Amsterdam to the border crossing. Suriname is Guyana 's eastern neighbour and Guyana and Suriname are the only two CARICOM countries with a contiguous land border. 

“I look forward to a smooth integrated drive from Paramaribo to Georgetown, shortly,” the Guyanese Leader said. 

According to President Jagdeo, he has also raised the idea of removing some of the restrictions on travel between the two countries to enhance CARICOM free movement. 

President Jagdeo will take up both the road and the issue of free movement, with his counterpart, when the Guyanese Leader visits Suriname in March. 

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