Suriname not comfortable with Guyana's purchase of naval vessel
SURINAME, with which Guyana has a long-standing border dispute, is not comfortable with a move by the Guyana Government to procure a naval vessel for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
The procurement of the vessel is part of the re-capitalisation process for the Army, which for years has had to limit its naval surveillance of Guyana's Exclusive Zone because it had no patrol boats.
Foreign Affairs Minister Clement Rohee, who represented President Jagdeo at the recently-held Intersessional Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in Barbados, told a media briefing on Thursday last, that Suriname President Ronald Venetiaan, has expressed concern over the decision. The comment was made during a working lunch, Rohee said.
Through an agreement between the governments of Guyana and the United Kingdom, the naval vessel H.M.S Orwell, a minesweeper, will be acquired and made available to the GDF by May.
The decision to recapitalise the Army was made following the spat that developed between the two neighbouring countries after Suriname gunboats evicted the CGX Energy Inc. oil rig from a concession in the Atlantic Ocean on June 3, 2000. The rig was granted the concession by the Guyana Government in 1998.
Meanwhile, although President Venetiaan has disclosed that his country is ready to begin discussions with Guyana in the context of the Guyana-Suriname Cooperation Council and the joint Border Commissions, he is of the view that such discussions should not take place until after the March 19, general elections in Guyana.
Minister Rohee said he was not mandated to meet with the Surinamese President or the delegation during the Barbados conference, but nevertheless, he had follow-up discussions with his counterpart, Ms Mary Levens, on issues which the two had first spoken on in Guyana.
He said some progress has been reported. Responding to a query as to whether Suriname still favours the presence of a third party in border dispute discussions with Guyana, Rohee said he is not aware of any changes to the present situation.
That is, the current CARICOM Chairman has been mandated to monitor the Guyana-Suriname relations, and Prime Minister P. J. Patterson is the facilitator in the maritime dispute.
Asked about putting in place a special unit to deal with border issues arising between member states, Rohee said there has been some discussion to that effect.
 Follow the goings-on in Guyana  If you do not see the 'Guyana: Land of Six Peoples' drop-down menu on the left then please click here to enter through the front door which will give you additional options and information.
|