PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo is due to open a two-day State visit to Suriname tomorrow hoping to advance joint oil exploration talks and other cooperation issues with President Ronald Venetiaan.

The Office of the President here yesterday said Mr. Jagdeo is also to address the Suriname National Assembly and speak at a business forum.

A spat in June 2000 over the Canadian CGX Energy Inc. drilling for oil offshore Guyana, chilled relations between the two neighbours, but the Foreign Ministers of the two republics in a series of meetings this month have set the stage for the two presidents to consider joint oil exploration.

At a news conference Friday, Mr. Jagdeo said he hopes he and Venetiaan can advance the issue of joint exploration.

While he hopes to move forward the discussion from the positive note set at the initial meetings, the President said he does not anticipate that an agreement would be reached in such a short time.

"To expect that we would reach an agreement in a one-day visit would be expecting too much", he told reporters.

"I am hoping that we can advance the process forward so that when I leave Suriname we can at least have an agreement as to when subsequent discussions would take place and how we would advance the process."

"...hopefully we could set the tone for very positive engagements at the technical level, to come to an agreement that would be of benefit for both countries", he added.

It would be "extremely foolish and not keeping with the wishes of our people if we were to choose any other path than the path of cooperation," he said.

The two countries formally agreed to look at options for joint oil exploration at a meeting of delegations led by Foreign Minister, Mr. Rudy Insanally and Suriname Foreign Minister, Ms. Marie Levens.

Insanally has told the Chronicle that cooperation in oil exploration will be high on the agenda of the two presidents.

The Guyana Foreign Minister last weekend said the visit by his delegation to the Suriname capital Paramaribo provided a solid basis for the discussions between Presidents Jagdeo and Venetiaan, who now have a framework for their talks and the ability to identify and prioritise specific areas.

He said both countries will need to identify areas that are susceptible to immediate implementation and start to work towards the larger objective of building confidence and trust between the parties. It is important that the peoples of both countries see things working to their benefit, he added.

The mood of the Surinamese delegation during the meetings was "extremely friendly" and a new chapter has been opened in this country's relationship with Suriname, the Foreign Minister said.

During his visit to Suriname, Mr. Jagdeo will meet members of the Guyanese community living there at a special reception.

He is to return home Wednesday, flying to the Skeldon Airstrip for a series of community meetings on the Corentyne, the Office of the President said.