August 9 ,2020
President Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s President Chandrikapersad Santokhi have begun crafting a plan for economic, security and other agreements which will see the swift reopening of the borders between Georgetown and Paramaribo, while catering for COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines.
The funding of a bridge over the Corentyne River will also form part of discussions, both leaders said, as having reliable access between countries is necessary for the development expansion they seek.
The two leaders hosted a joint press conference this morning, following a breakfast engagement with the private sector at State House, where heads of diplomatic missions were also present.
Santokhi came here yesterday for Ali’s inauguration ceremony but said that he used the opportunity last evening to begin engagements between the two nations on how they can collaborate on a number of issues to better both their economies which are battling not only the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic but financial strains.
“Coronavirus and the pandemic issue occupied a large part of the agenda and the opening of the borders also…that is why we invited the ministers of health into the meeting, and they are to, almost immediately, begin a collaboration on the protocols and to put systems in place for our review, so that we can move expeditiously in determining and opening up in a manner that can bring back normalcy,” Ali said.
Guyana’s President explained that while citizens of both countries have expressed the need to once again begin travelling, their leaders see it as necessary that such an opening be done “in a manner that takes into consideration the reality of the pandemic and ensuring that the structure and the systems are there to support the decisions that are to be made.”
With the Presidents leading their respective delegations, the names for teams of persons from both countries that will form the Guyana/Suriname development group have already been selected and Ali promised that citizens would see fast action. He said that evidence of his promise could be seen as a timeframe of early September has already been designated for the first draft of proposals to be made and then the team will meet in Paramaribo, at a date to be set, in October.
Among areas of cooperation are security, oil and gas, tackling piracy and private sector collaboration.
“I want to assure you that these are not discussions and promises and timelines. That is why, if you look at most of the agreements…is why we have specific timelines ….we have already established a timeline of meetings. And you will see, within weeks, an action plan for the realization of some of these goals and strategic areas we are looking toward,” Ali said.
Santokhi said that while there have been years of discussions between the two sides on issues highlighted with not much resulting, this time it will be different because the leaders are different, they trust each other and they also share the same vision and have pledged cooperation.
“The cooperation is of a historical nature, it is there…what will differ now? The confidence we have as two leaders, we have the belief, us two leaders, that we can do it jointly and that is very important. [Also] the expression of the confidence of the two leaders. The second thing is that we have the commitment of two leaders. We want to do it and we want to direct it personally, and guide it personally and we want to (do it) at the level of two presidents,” he said.
“The third thing is that we have a mandate of the people and based on that mandate. And the other thing is that we are supported, as two new governments, by the region and the international community…those are the new elements,” he added.