Guyana will not engage in bickering by Suriname Opposition group over map submitted to ICJ – VP Jagdeo

Dec 10, 2023 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News

Kaieteur News – Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said on Thursday that the government will not be drawn into any opportunistic bickering some Suriname opposition members are trying to stir up over a map Guyana submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) showing the New River Triangle as part of its territory.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

Dr. Jagdeo’s comments follows on the heels of a letter that was dispatched to the ICJ by the Democratic Alternative 91, a political organization in the Republic of Suriname. The letter states that Guyana presented a map to the ICJ that includes a portion of Suriname’s territory known as “Tigri” (New River Triangle). The group said it finds the map to be “astonishing and deeply regrettable.” It also asked that the ICJ discard this map that was presented in Guyana’s border controversy case with Venezuela.

In response to this letter, Dr. Jagdeo said, “I met with both (Albert) Ramdin, the Foreign Affairs Minster and (Suriname’s President, Chandrikapersad) Santokhi  and (President, Dr. Irfaan) Ali met them too at the 28^th Conference of the Parties and this is not an issue we discussed.”

He added, “We have good relations with Suriname…I don’t wanna get into that issue now because some people are opportunistically trying to use this issue before the ICJ which had a history as to how it ended up at the ICJ, an almost 50 years history.”

The Vice President reiterated that the government would not succumb to the opportunism of certain groups, adding that Guyana will remain focused on its case before the ICJ.

Guyana is currently before the ICJ with Venezuela to settle once and for all, the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award which said the boundaries between the two nations was “a full, final and perfect” settlement.

• Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, International Court of Justice (ICJ), New River Triangle, opposition, Vice President