Regrettably, this new tension has emerged from a surprising decision in Paramaribo to officially authorise the circulation of a map of Suriname that includes the New River Triangle as part of Surinamese territory.

The Guyana Foreign Ministry felt compelled to send off a diplomatic note pointing out that this area of the Upper Corentyne region "is and has always been an integral part of Guyana's territory", and urged that such a provocative act could only undermine efforts at improving relations between the two neighbours.

After the escalation of the dispute resulting from Suriname using its military to remove a CGX oil rig from a location within Guyana's maritime boundary on June 2, 2000, fresh efforts were made by both countries to give negotiations, conducted in a matured, sensible manner, a chance to succeed in overcoming misunderstandings.

More substantially, hopes were raised by meetings at the highest levels by both states of a new focus in bi-lateral relations aimed at improving the social and economic welfare of the citizens of Guyana and Suriname, including joint economic initiatives.

Optimism for a wind of change in their relations was reinforced with meetings of the Guyana-Suriname Cooperation Council and National Border Commissions. There were even clear signals of the two countries working together to explore potential oil resources for their shared benefits.

Ever Vigilant
The indicators of a new mood in cooperation were done without prejudice to ongoing negotiations at technical and ministerial levels pertaining to the search for a practical resolution to colonially-inherited territorial dispute.

Faced with claims from both Venezuela and Suriname to its 83,000 square miles, as demarcated long before it became an independent nation on May 26, 1966, Guyana has remained ever vigilant against any act of omission or commission that could have adverse consequences on its territorial sovereignty.

In this context, it has had to protest, successfully in the past, against attempts to place on display at regional/hemispheric meetings any map that suggests any part of its 83,000 square miles as belonging to another state.

Given the new thrust for cooperation and fostering goodwill among the historically friendly peoples of Guyana and Suriname, it is, therefore, rather puzzling that maps should have been circulated by the Suriname Government to diplomatic missions indicating that the New River Triangle is part of ITS territory, when there is no legal basis for such a claim.