Energy among other areas raised by President Ali with Jamaica, Suriname leaders

-Holness for State Visit to Guyana

By Marcelle Thomas in St Kitts-Nevis

As the 50th Caribbean Commu-nity (CARICOM) Regular Heads of Government meeting con-tinued yesterday, President Irfaan Ali held bilateral talks with Jamaica’s Prime Minister, Andrew Holness, and Suriname’s President, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, and is preparing for the first time to host Holness here.

Yesterday, the Heads of Government held a caucus and their respective bilaterals on the  island of Nevis, leaving St. Kitts in the morning and returning in the evening. These bilateral meetings were held on the sidelines of the 50th Regular Meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government.

CARICOM Leaders are expected to hold a press conference today to announce what was collectively decided by the regional bloc. Already a number of Heads have departed the island and these include Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

To Kingston, Ali said, he pitched the partnership as pivotal for advancing shared opportuni-ties, given that Guyana is expected to produce surplus liquified natural gas (LNG) and have a thriving manufacturing sector. “We are looking to work to integrate more opportunities for Jamaica and Guyana,” he said, noting that Guyana’s energy sector is poised for expansion.

When Holness makes his anticipated State visit – the first since Ali took office in 2020 – the President expressed the hope there will be the signing of a new framework agreement and  con-firmed that priority areas will include digitisation, technology, and financial services.

“So with Jamaica, we plan that the Prime Minister, we are hoping to host him in Guyana. We are hoping to have a new framework agreement signed in terms of our areas of priority, which includes digitisation, technology, financial services, and so on,” President Ali said.

 He explained that as LPG [liquid propane gas] production begins and plans for LNG move forward, Guyana must secure regional off-takers to stabilize markets. “We have to start work-ing on the off-takers in the region to secure those markets and to see the type of opportunities that we can generate out of this product.”

Ali also emphasised energy cooperation, infrastructure, tech-nology integration as part of a holistic regional developmental growth plan which Kingston can help Georgetown with.

For Paramaribo, he underscor-ed leveraging on the unique  geographic proximity and cul-tural ties to foster economic and social developments, such as resolving the longstanding fish-ing licence issue and mapping out the best way to start the Corentyne Bridge project.

“We are working on a number of issues – the fishing challenges for fisherfolk, the agriculture, energy, the second gas pipeline, and whether we can have an integrated project for the Coren-tyne River bridge,” he explained.

 The President noted that the partnership between Guyana and the two countries is built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a vision for sustainable growth, and as such, the meetings are to ensure the continuation of joint efforts.

Focusing on Suriname, Ali said that the two nations have agreed to reconvene by the end of March to review progress reports and determine next steps, since he and President Geerlings-Simons are committed to action and not mere talk.

“We have agreed and set a timetable that sometime around the end of March we will meet to not only examine this time, but to get reports from the Suriname side and to see how we will move forward with all of these issues.”

The President emphasised that these bilateral engagements reflect Guyana’s vision of regional cooperation, and by leveraging its energy sector and strengthening ties with neigh-bours, it aims to create new economic opportunities and foster greater integration across the Caribbean and South America.

Back in September, Guyana and Suriname held talks on on a number of issues, including the resuscitation of the Suriname-Guyana Joint Border Commis-sion.

While meeting in Nieuw Nickerie, Suriname, the Heads of State also reviewed the state of bilateral relations and to advance discussion on areas of mutual interest. The two leaders 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.

Economic cooperation

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.

Energy Security

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-shar-ing mechanisms, and investment opportunities that would advance their respective national energy agendas while contributing to regional energy resilience.

With regard to the bridge between Suriname and Guyana, over the Corentyne River, the two leaders recognised the timely advancement of the transfor-mative potential for trade, tourism, connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. They agreed to continue close coordination to address out-standing legal, technical and financial matters. They recognise that this bilateral initiative is also an integral part of the interconnectivity within the Amazon Region.

Suriname- Guyana Border Commission

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 2026. Both Leaders underscored the importance of maintaining a spirit of good neighbourliness in addressing all outstanding matters.

The two Heads of State agreed to establish a joint commission of the Ministers responsible for Fisheries, technical teams, and relevant stakeholders before the end of 2026 to further advance cooperation in fisheries. As it relates to agriculture cooperation the Heads of State agreed to work closely within the frame-work of the Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP). 

Canawaima Ferry Service

The Presidents emphasised 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.

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.