Guyana: Suriname Confirms Notification to Guyana Regarding Bridge Financing

Suriname’s President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons has stated that Guyana was informed several months ago about Suriname’s intention to finance the proposed Corentyne River Bridge. This statement follows comments made by President Dr. Irfaan Ali of Guyana, who indicated that his country is awaiting formal correspondence from Paramaribo before responding to any revised proposal regarding the bridge.

According to reports from Demerara Waves, President Ali mentioned that discussions between the two nations had consistently focused on Suriname securing financing for the bridge project. He noted that Suriname had repeatedly indicated it was in the process of “sorting out their financing.” Ali added that the matter is currently under review by a joint subcommittee comprising finance and public works officials from both countries.

In her remarks to the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), Geerlings-Simons clarified that the decision regarding the bridge financing was communicated to President Ali during a meeting held in St. Kitts back in February. She stated, “We didn’t decide it now, we informed the President of Guyana in St. Kitts.” When questioned about how Suriname plans to fund the estimated US$300 million project, she assured, “We will… don’t worry.”

President Ali confirmed that the two leaders had an informal discussion on the matter in St. Lucia. He reiterated that Guyana will await the official proposal from Suriname before determining its position on the project. Ali stated, “The rest will be done officially, and then we will be in a position to know exactly what they are proposing now, and where we stand.” The ongoing disagreement revolves around whether Guyana had prior notice of Suriname’s decision to finance the bridge independently, as Guyana has maintained that the bridge was initially conceived as a joint project with shared financing and management responsibilities.

Source: hgptv.com