Guyanese private sector bodies are warning that repeated controversy over Guyana’s border with Suriname is beginning to erode confidence in cross-border energy cooperation, after a map shown at the Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (SEOGS) 2026 depicted the New River Triangle as Surinamese territory.
In separate statements issued on June 24, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) condemned the display and argued that the repeated use of inaccurate maps at business and energy events in Suriname is undermining trust at a time when both countries are expanding their oil and gas industries.
GCCI said the latest incident at SEOGS amounted to “continued disrespect of Guyana’s sovereignty” and pointed to a similar controversy at the International Business Conference in Suriname last year.
“These incidents cannot be allowed to continue unchecked, and the Chamber urges both the Government of Guyana and businesses operating in Guyana to reject these actions by impenitent individuals. Furthermore, the Chamber encourages Guyanese and the business community to not support events that depict such disrespect of our country,” the GCCI said.
GOGEC, which represents stakeholders in Guyana’s oil, gas and energy industries, said international conferences and investment forums must uphold “the highest standards of accuracy, professionalism, and respect for internationally recognized borders and sovereign territories.”
The chamber stressed that the New River Triangle “is and remains an integral part of the sovereign territory of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana” and said any suggestion that its status is open to interpretation is misleading.
The PSC tied the controversy directly to business relations between the two neighbors, warning that incidents of this nature are “damaging goodwill” within the Guyanese private sector.
“It is therefore deeply disappointing that, more than a year later, the PSC finds itself once again forced to object to a similar occurrence… We firmly believe that the private sectors of both countries stand to benefit from closer collaboration, increased trade, joint investment opportunities, and deeper economic partnerships. These objectives, however, can only be advanced in an environment of mutual respect and good faith,” the commission stated.
PSC called on SEOGS organizers, including Staatsolie, to publicly address the matter and ensure future conferences accurately reflect Guyana’s territorial boundaries.
