Today, President Dr. Irfaan Ali met with President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons of Suriname in Nieuw Nickerie.
The discussions focused on advancing economic partnerships and strengthening collaboration in the areas of energy, agriculture, and fisheries.
The two leaders also addressed the advancement of the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge.
Below is a Joint Statement detailing the meeting.
๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ- ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ, ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฑ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ข, ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ-๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐
๐๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐ข๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฆ๐
๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐
Her Excellency Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, President of the Republic of Suriname and His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana met on September 13, 2025, in Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname, to review the state of bilateral relations and to advance discussion on areas of mutual interest.
The two Heads of State reaffirmed the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between Suriname and Guyana rooted in their shared values and aspirations, cultural ties, and geographic proximity. They expressed their mutual commitment to further deepen the bilateral partnership to promote peace, security, and prosperity for the peoples of both countries.
๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Heads of State expressed their willingness and interest to deepen economic cooperation to implement joint ventures in areas of mutual interest. With the focus on expanding trade, investment, and the improvement of the ease of doing business.
๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
The Presidents acknowledged the strategic importance of energy security to national and regional development. They agreed to strengthen cooperation in the oil and gas sector, as well as in renewable energy and electricity interconnection. The two sides committed to exploring joint ventures, knowledge-sharing mechanisms, and investment opportunities that would advance their respective national energy agendas while contributing to regional energy resilience.
๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐๐ญ
With regards to the bridge between Suriname and Guyana, over the Corantijn (Corentyne) River the two Leaders recognized the timely advancement of the transformative potential for trade, tourism, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. They agreed to continue close coordination to address outstanding legal, technical and financial matters. They recognize that this bilateral initiative is also an integral part of the interconnectivity within the Amazon Region.
๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฆ๐- ๐๐ฎ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Presidents reiterated their unwavering commitment to the peaceful settlement of border matters through dialogue with full respect for international law. They agreed for the chairs of both commissions to meet as soon as possible and thereafter convene the 7th Meeting of the Suriname-Guyana Joint Border Commission before the end of 2025. Both Leaders underscored the importance of maintaining a spirit of good neighborliness in addressing all outstanding matters.
๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ
The two Heads of State agreed to establish a joint commission comprising of the Ministers responsible for Fisheries, technical teams and relevant stakeholders before the end of 2025 to further advance cooperation in fisheries. As it relates to agriculture cooperation the Heads of State agreed to work closely within the framework of the Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP).
๐๐๐ง๐๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐
The Presidents emphasized the importance of the Canawaima Ferry Service to the well-being of border communities, the facilitation of bilateral trade and movement of people and goods. They agreed on the urgent need to review its operation with the aim of improving and strengthening the reliability and efficiency of the service.
Both Heads also confirmed their willingness to collaborate closer on the regional Ferry project to facilitate regional integration.
๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฆ (๐๐๐๐)
The Leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP) as the principal mechanism for advancing the broad bilateral agenda of the two countries. They agreed to convene the next session of the SDCP within the shortest possible time and instructed Ministers of Foreign Affairs to follow up on all decisions and report on progress to the Heads of State.
๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐
The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the Region as a Zone of Peace through dialogue, diplomacy, peaceful resolution of conflicts in accordance with international law.
They also restated their support for all constructive efforts aimed at combatting transnational crimes.
The two Presidents reaffirmed their dedication to strengthening the bilateral partnership between Suriname and Guyana and to working together in the interest of their peoples and the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and South America.
The President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana expressed appreciation to the President of the Republic of Suriname for the warm hospitality extended to his delegation during the visit. Both leaders agreed to maintain regular high-level dialogue, and the engagement of the Foreign Ministers and technical teams of both sides at the earliest opportunity.
NIEUW NICKERIE
SEPTEMBER 13, 2025