Hours after the Private Sector Commission (PSC) called on Guyanese and Surinamese businessman Vishnu Doerga to publicly apologize to the Government and people of Guyana for the recent incident in which an incorrect Surinamese map was displayed, he complied.
The map had inaccurately depicted Guyana’s New River Triangle area as part of Suriname’s territory.
Apologising for “any misconceptions or grief my personal statement may have caused,” Doerga, in a written and recorded statement said last evening that he acknowledged the concerns raised regarding the map used by an invited speaker in their PowerPoint presentation at the recent International Business Conference in Paramaribo.
“I do want to confirm my understanding that the New River Triangle is an integral part of Guyana’s sovereign territory, as recognized by international law,” the businessman said.
He further stated that he understood it was a government-to-government matter and that both governments were committed to strong and cooperative relations with each other, “guided by principles of mutual respect and international law, and will continue to advance discussions through the mechanism established to address outstanding issues on the border between the two countries.
“The Suriname Guyana Chamber of Commerce already issued a statement on Sunday Feb 9, 2025, clarifying that no map was distributed to attendees and underscored the importance of diplomacy and mutual respect. Appropriate measures have also been put in place to prevent any future recurrence.”
Doerga had earlier told this newspaper: “In Suriname, that is the map that they use similarly to the map that we use in Guyana. There is a border commission in place that is working on resolving the matter. So I think the sane thing to do is to leave it to the border commission to do their work. Other than that, every child in school in Guyana believes that that’s the shape of our map, similarly, every child in school in Suriname has also been taught that that’s the shape of their map. We just respect whichever country we’re in. We just respect their beliefs and both governments have put in place a border commission to resolve the matter and we respect their authority and wait until they have concluded their work.”
The PSC, in a release issued yesterday, expressed the commission’s “profound concern and disappointment” over the incident at the International Business Conference chaired by Doerga and organized by the Suriname-Guyana Chamber of Commerce in Suriname.
The incident saw a Surinamese speaker displaying the controversial map, despite its clear misrepresentation of Guyana’s territorial boundaries. The statement went on to address the fact that no objections were raised by the Guyanese attendees.
The PSC condemned the oversight, calling it a “significant lapse in national responsibility”. The commission made it clear that it disassociates itself from the failure of the Guyanese attendees to raise their voices against the wrongful portrayal of Guyana’s borders.
It urged Doerga, as the chairperson of the conference, to take responsibility for the incident. The commission called for an official apology to be issued to both the Government and the people of Guyana for allowing the misrepresentation to go unchallenged.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hugh Todd met Ambassador of Suriname Liselle Blankendal yesterday and reiterated Guyana’s unwavering commitment to upholding the principles of international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, a Foreign Ministry release said.
While not making direct reference to the map issue, the release said, the Ambassador referenced recent reports circulating in the media, underscoring Suriname’s dedication to continuing to develop its bilateral ties with Guyana.
Todd highlighted the importance of fostering strong regional cooperation and enhancing the friendly and cooperative relationship between Guyana and Suriname. Todd further emphasized that these efforts must take place within the established frameworks that guide the two countries’ diplomatic and economic interactions, it added.
The duo also took the opportunity to discuss the upcoming convening of the Guyana and Suriname Border Commission, it added.
