On Friday, 15 May 2026, the presidents of neighboring Caribbean nations Guyana and Suriname held a productive virtual diplomatic meeting focused on resolving long-standing cross-border disagreements and expanding bilateral cooperation across multiple key sectors.
Guyanese President Irfaan Ali was joined in the meeting by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd, while Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons led her country’s delegation to the talks. While Ali shared only broad reflections on the discussion in a public Facebook post following the meeting, Geerlings-Simons offered detailed insights into the agenda and outcomes of the bilateral dialogue.
At the top of the meeting’s agenda were two long-running cross-border disputes that have strained economic ties between the two nations. The first is a disagreement over access to the shared Corentyne River (called Corantijn by Suriname), sparked when Suriname implemented steep new access fees for Guyanese cargo vessels moving quarry and timber products from Guyanese concessions to Guyana’s side of the waterway. Under the new fee structure, charges can reach as high as US$1,500 per ton, a dramatic increase from the previous flat rate of US$75 per vessel that Guyana is pushing to reinstate. As a path forward, Suriname has requested that Guyana submit a formal application for fee exemptions for specific vessels.
The second unresolved issue on the agenda is access to fishing waters for Guyanese fishermen. Successive Surinamese administrations have failed to follow through on past commitments to formalize access: the previous Chandrikapersad Santokhi government, which left office after last year’s general election, had pledged to establish a special mechanism to issue fishing licenses to Guyanese crews, but no progress was made on the promise during its term.
Beyond dispute resolution, the two leaders also discussed expanding bilateral collaboration in high-growth sectors, including oil and gas, and agreed to actively involve the private sector in future cooperation initiatives to drive tangible economic gains for both nations. Climate change and its immediate impacts also featured prominently on the meeting’s agenda, coming on the heels of extreme heavy rainfall that triggered severe widespread flooding across Guyana, Suriname, and neighboring French Guiana in the week leading up to the talks. The two leaders agreed that their respective Public Works ministries will collaborate at the technical level to address flood-related water management challenges and develop coordinated infrastructure adaptations to boost regional resilience to climate-driven extreme weather.
Both presidents characterized the talks as positive and constructive. Geerlings-Simons described the exchange as “constructive and friendly”, while Ali noted in his Facebook post that he was “delighted today to speak to my friend and our neighbour” on “various opportunities and challenges ahead of us.” He added, “I was pleased at our shared commitment in deepening our partnership and friendship to ensure further economic cooperation, expansion of trade, and integration of our economies.”
To keep momentum on the discussed issues, the two leaders have agreed to hold another meeting on short notice under the framework of the existing Suriname-Guyana Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform, with a focus on advancing the resolutions agreed upon during this virtual session.