Suriname’s President, Desi Bouterse is due in Guyana on Monday for a one-day official visit– his first overseas visit since becoming president– a senior official of Guyana’s Office of the President disclosed last night.
No details about the agenda were immediately available.
But since being selected by his country’s National Assembly, the leaders of both neighbouring South American countries have been making public but diplomatic statements about the need to jointly explore and exploit resources for the benefit of their peoples despite an outstanding land-border dispute.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds of Guyana was the highest ranking government official who attended Bouterse’s official inauguration. Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chavez cancelled his attendance at the last minute.
Surinamese gun-boats in June 2000 chased out an oil-exploration rig from a concession awarded by Guyana to CGX Energy, prompting several rounds of talks including a proposal by the Jagdeo administration for joint exploration and exploitation of oil to the benefit of the two countries.
After that proposal was rejected by Suriname, Guyana in 2004 took its case to the United Nations Tribunal on the Law of the Sea which in 2007 ruled in Guyana’s favour, settling that maritime boundary dispute.
