Govt condemn cont’d use of map showing Guyana’s New River Triangle as Surinamese territory

…private sector says action undermines good neighborliness, business confidence

For the second time within two years, the Guyanese Government is condemning the use of a map depicting the New River Triangle in Guyana’s territory as part of Suriname, a practice that is being seen by the local private sector as the Dutch-speaking nation’s continued disrespect of Guyana’s sovereignty.
During the opening ceremony of the Suriname Energy, Oil and Gas Summit (SEOGS) 2026 held in Paramaribo on Tuesday, a map was used depicting the New River Triangle in Guyana as part of Suriname’s territory.
This display was shown by event organiser, Staatsolie – Suriname’s state-run energy agency and was done in the presence of Guyanese officials including Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, who attended the event and even appeared on a ministerial panel discussion.
Bharrat told Guyanese online news agency, OilNow, on Tuesday that Guyana’s Ambassador to Suriname, Virjanand Depoo, would initiate a formal protest to the Suriname Government.
When contacted on Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud told Guyana Times that Guyana has already formally written the Surinamese authorities about this latest act of disrespect.

This is not the first time Surinamese event organisers have used an incorrect map with the inclusion of the New River Triangle, which is internationally-recognised and has been settled since 1936 as Guyanese territory, as part of Suriname.
At the International Business Conference in February 2025, a map showing Guyana’s New River Triangle as part of Suriname was used as the official map distributed to all attendees – something which had attracted widespread condemnation from stakeholders in Guyana. In fact, Guyana then had also fined a protest with the Surinamese Government.
But according to Persaud, there was no response. Nevertheless, the Foreign Secretary noted that Guyana has always and will continue to speak out against this practice.
“We have always protested vehemently at events as well as formally through diplomatic channels the use of what we consider an illegitimate map that Suriname authorities have time to time displayed… We continue to protest. We will continue to object because that map they’re using is not recognised…by the UN (United Nation). So, they’re using an illegitimate map not only from Guyana’s perspective but from the rest of the world,” Persaud posited.

Undermining
Meanwhile, the private sector in Guyana has also condemned this incident saying that it could affect cooperation between the two neighbouring countries especially at a time when the two nations should be strengthening business ties.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Private Sector Commission said, “…while the PSC has consistently advocated for stronger trade and business relations between our two countries, incidents such as these continue to undermine confidence and goodwill among the Guyanese business community.”
According to the Commission, it firmly believes that the private sectors of both countries stand to benefit from closer collaboration, increased trade, joint investment opportunities, and deeper economic partnerships. But these objectives, it pointed out, can only be advanced in an environment of mutual respect and good faith.
“The PSC remains committed to dialogue and engagement. However, meaningful cooperation requires reciprocity and respect. The Guyanese private sector cannot be expected to participate in forums designed to promote partnership while Guyana’s sovereignty is repeatedly disregarded,” it stated.
The umbrella private sector body went on to note that the recent imposition of fees on Guyanese operators in the Corentyne River coupled with the use of this inaccurate map has unfortunately created the perception of a troubling pattern that is inconsistent with the principles of good neighbourly cooperation.
“We urge our neighbours in Suriname to work with Guyana in a manner that strengthens trust, promotes mutual respect, and advances the shared economic interests of both nations. The future of Guyana-Suriname relations should be built on partnership and cooperation – not recurring incidents that unnecessarily strain relations between our peoples and businesses,” the PSC stated.

Continued disrespect
Similarly, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) strongly condemned the continued disrespect of Guyana’s sovereignty by event organisers in Suriname, calling out them out for depicting a trend of incivility. The Chamber further described this most recent incident as a blatant contempt of Guyana’s sovereign territory especially in the presence of Guyanese officials and companies present at the event,
“These incidents cannot be allowed to continue unchecked, and the Chamber urges both the Government of Guyana and businesses operating in Guyana to reject these actions by impenitent individuals. Furthermore, the Chamber encourages Guyanese and the business community to not support events that depict such disrespect of our country,” the GCCI stated.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Youth Entrepreneurship Chamber (GYEC), which is also participating in the SEOGS 2026 in Paramaribo, has joined in strongly condemning the misrepresentation of Guyana’s territory during the event’s opening ceremony.
“As an organisation representing Guyana’s next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders, the GYEC categorically rejects any attempt to misrepresent the country’s internationally-recognised borders… While reaffirming its commitment to strong relations between Guyana and Suriname, the GYEC firmly believes that mutual respect and good neighbourly relations must be grounded in honesty, accuracy, and respect for internationally recognised territorial boundaries,” the youth body stated.
Moreover, all of these Guyanese private sector bodies have called on the organisers of SEOGS 2026 as well as other relevant stakeholders to formally apologise for the use of the incorrect map and provide assurances that future conferences and official presentations will accurately reflect Guyana’s territorial boundaries.