LINKING Guyana with its Dutch-speaking neighbour, Suriname, by a bridge across the Corentyne River is the top priority for the two South American countries in 2012. Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett made this disclosure, and said that technical officials will intensify work on the project this year, as the technical requirements were considered throughout 2011.
Early last year, Guyana and Suriname began discussing the possibility of linking both countries via a bridge across the Corentyne River, and in September 2010, the respective presidents decided to pursue that course of action.
Guyana and Suriname have pledged to continue along the path of enhanced relations in 2012. Each government has worked hard to advance the relations between the two states during the period in review.
In a September 6, 2010 meeting in Guyana, then President Bharrat Jagdeo and his Surinamese counterpart Desi Bouterse decided to conduct a feasibility study on the bridge project. The project is reportedly critical, since it would “further physically integrate South America”, President Jagdeo had explained. He had also said that were Guyana and Suriname to depend only on the multilateral framework, bridging the Corentyne River would take a long time, so it was decided that the bridge project would be approached on a bilateral level.
The feasibility study would not only look at the cost involved, but also at its likely impact on development.
The Linden/Lethem Road and the Corentyne River Bridge are two of the projects under discussion at the level of UNASUR. They are aimed at furthering physical integration among South American nations.