A few days ago, we witnessed a new dimension in the relationship with neighbouring Suriname. This new feature in relations was ushered by the coming to Guyana of the Suriname Airways after an absence of six years. That inaugural flight brought onboard Suriname’s President Desire Bouterse and a delegation that held discussions with Guyana’s president Donald Ramotar and other Guyanese officials.
Since coming to power in 1992, successive PPP/C governments have been holding talks regularly with their Surinamese counterparts. These discussions between the two neighbouring states have led to the steady growth in friendship and bilateral relations in several areas, and one resulting factor is the coming to Guyana of the Surinam Airways which will now include Georgetown on its route to Miami. The airline will also have flights two times per week between Paramaribo and Georgetown.
The two neighbouring states on the northeastern tip of the South American continent have a long history with a colonial past that separated them by man-made borders. They are unique in their own right as apart from French Guiana which speaks French, Suriname speaks Dutch, Guyana English while the rest of South America speak Spanish. Never-the-less, these man-made hurdles along with the language barrier did not deter the two countries from developing the propensity to work assiduously towards peaceful co-existence, developing a series of bilateral relations in the process.
The Surinam Airways link is the latest connection that solders the peoples of the two neighbouring states. Already there is the Guyana/Suriname ferry service, a joint venture by both countries, while there are growing prospects of a bridge across the Corentyne River which separates the two countries. These must be seen as concrete efforts by both sides to further consolidate the relationship between our two peoples. For some years now, thousands of Guyanese have been living in Suriname, many of whom have taken up permanent residence.
There is also an active cross-border trade by  the people of the two countries, and with the coming on stream of Surinam Airways, there is every indication that trade, exchange of expertise and people would be on the rise. The Suriname Airways made its first non-stop flight between Georgetown and Miami recently and will  be making two weekly flights between Paramaribo and Georgetown.
Both Presidents Bouterse and Ramotar are upbeat about the Suriame Airways flight and at an airport ceremony, they expressed their delight at the growing friendship and cooperation, the pursuance of integration and cooperation at the bilateral levels as the Guyanese Head of State pointed out: “ It seems the relationship between Guyana and Suriname is growing stronger and stronger as the days go by.” He also mentioned  the launching in Guyana of the work of Assuria, a Surinamese Insurance Company which he said shows “ very clearly that Guyana and Suriname are taking very seriously our commitment towards integration of our countries’ economies, and integration with CARICOM as a whole.”
This is a classic example of South-South cooperation that could later lead to the deeper integration of other South American Nations like neighbouring Brazil for instance. There is already a bridge (Takutu Bridge) between Guyana and this South American giant which is regarded as the “Japan” of South America. This is so because of the technological advances this country has made over the years.
There could be none denying the fact that the presence of Suriname Airways in Guyana would open up a whole lot of new frontiers for the people of both countries who should not fail to take advantage of the opportunities that would go abegging.