Guyana, Suriname to meet over ‘backtrack’ route

A technical team from Guyana and Suriname is expected to continue talks shortly concerning the monitoring and regularisation of the Nikerie ‘backtracking’ route.
When contacted on Monday for an update, Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said the matter has been under discussion since the last meeting between the two sides in August last year.
She noted that a decision has been taken that both Guyana and Suriname must be integrally involved in any attempt at addressing the way forward.

“Those discussions are on the agenda for the next encounter… when we do this, we would do it together and another meeting should be held shortly,” the foreign minister disclosed.
Rodrigues-Birkett said both countries have an obligation to ensure that people from Guyana and Suriname can move as freely as possible.
However, she maintained that the route must be speedily regulated and subsequent discussions will be undertaken towards this end. During a previous comment, Rodrigues-Birkett said the issue has already been discussed on both sides and advanced talks will definitely continue on the regulations that are to be put in place.
Backtracking
Her Surinamese counterpart, Winston Lackin said that backtracking is one of the many realities that face both countries and must be dealt with swiftly. “It is part of the realities of both economies and Suriname is trying to regulate the movement of people and goods on both sides of the river.”
Lackin said there continues to be security concerns that are still being ironed out, and as such, a decision has been made to have the technical people meet to discuss matters pertaining to this as soon as possible, “But we want to encourage people to use the ferries that are in place as much as possible.”

The Surinamese minister added that any impending regulation will be a process that has to take place, “But we know that backtracking is there and it will continue and we want to ensure that measures are in place to have it regulated so that security reaches the highest level possible,” Lackin remarked.
Meeting
The two foreign affairs ministers met last August to review the progress made, following the meeting between the presidents of both countries in February 2012 and to discuss related issues on the bilateral agenda. Sometime ago, Guyana and Suriname agreed to work to tighten security and regularise the backtrack route used by many persons to travel between the two countries.
It takes about 20 minutes in small wooden boats to travel the backtrack route from Skeldon in Guyana to Suriname, compared to more than one hour on the scheduled ferry service then by road. Though Guyana does not recognise Skeldon as a legal port of entry and exit, Guyanese customs officers are often there to inspect goods and levy duties and taxes.
Representatives of the two countries are to meet soon to discuss what measures both sides will have to put in place. Authorities are aware that Guyanese, Surinamese and other nationals often enter either country illegally through this route.