Guyana’s President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali told reporters Wednesday the nation has agreed with Suriname to have a high-level meeting within two weeks to address fishing woes experienced near the border.
Ali said he is pleased with the response from Suriname in the 24 hours after Guyana made its protest statement.
In strong language, the Guyana government on Tuesday said Suriname had promised to grant a total of 150 SK fishing licenses to Guyanese fisherfolk, building on a promise made to President Ali in 2020. However, nothing has come to fruition and Guyanese fisherfolk are being harassed, the Georgetown government said.
Ali said Suriname also has concerns relating to fishing licenses being rented to Guyanese fisherfolk by their Surinamese counterparts, which will be discussed when the two foreign ministers meet. The two sides are sharing data, ahead of the meeting.
“We’re very convinced on our case. We have all the data,” Ali said. “They’ve shared all the data with them. I called key members of the Surinamese private sector, myself to let them understand that we treat everyone equally here, we give everyone an opportunity here, and that they should ensure that similar treatment is accorded to Guyanese.”
He added that Guyana has “other options” available to it, being a member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), but that Guyana will not explore that now.
Resolving this issue will serve as a litmus test for how the two nations can work together on the development of their petroleum reserves, particularly gas. Based on previous high-level meetings, the countries agreed to form a shared gas strategy. They intend to use gas to become energy secure and to supply neighbouring states.
