WHAT was quite evident from the recent one-day official visit to Guyana by the newly inaugurated President of Suriname is a keen interest by the Heads of State of both neighbouring countries to work together to deepen cooperation for the mutual benefits of the Guyanese and Surinamese people.

That’s a very good start.

Their discussion in Georgetown went beyond talk about symbolic “friendship building”.

President Bharrat Jagdeo, currently in his final year before a new general election, and President Desi Bouterse, who has just begun his five-year elected term, have committed themselves to help make a reality of plans for the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River.

Such a project holds much promise for wider commercial, economic and cultural relations between Guyana and Suriname. Both are not only members of CARICOM, but also belong to the group of Union of South American States (UNASUR).

Presidents Jagdeo and Bouterse also agreed to pursue a different and, hopefully, more positive approach on joint development initiatives with a new mechanism to replace what has been in existence for some years as a joint ‘development commission’.

Good working relations had been developed and sustained between President Jagdeo and the former Surinamese President, Runaldo Venetiaan, both in the councils of CARICOM and UNASUR. President Venetiaan is still recognised as an elder statesman at home.

In the context of the Jagdeo-Bouterse meeting, whatever the questions or reservations of opponents of his government on foreign policy matters, they should at least be honest in recognising the consistency of the Guyanese Head of State in his policy of engagement to strengthen relations with this country’s border neighbours – Venezuela, Suriname and Brazil.
Come Tuesday, it would be a year since the historic inauguration of the ‘friendship bridge’ built across the Takutu River by Brazil at a cost of some US$5 million, linking Lethem with the town of Bomfin in Brazil. Currently Brazil is actively pursuing arrangements for the realisation of a multi-million-dollar road project from Lethem to Linden.

This past July, President Jagdeo met with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez in Caracas on a one-day official visit during which a series of agreements were signed, involving trade and economic cooperation.

This is in addition to reviewing the status on lingering differences resulting from Venezuela’s old claim to two thirds of Guyanese territory.

As it is in the case of Guyana-Venezuela relations, Suriname and Guyana also intend to take advantage of UNASUR as a forum of collective influence to help in further deepening trade, economic and cultural relations while also addressing old colonial-inherited territorial issues.

It is all about building friendship with neighbours for peace and development. We wish the initiators, across territorial boundaries, the very best in their efforts to promote and sustain such ‘friendship.’