Guyana rejects Suriname's claim it was told of solo bridge financing

Guyana rejects Suriname’s claim it was told of solo bridge financing

Jul 06, 2026 News

(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd has denied claims from Paramaribo, stating that Guyana was never notified through official channels that Suriname intended to fund the historic 3.1-kilometer Corentyne River Bridge independently.

In an official statement released on July 4, 2026, Todd pushed back against a public declaration from Suriname’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation (BIBIS). The Surinamese ministry had asserted that its intention to fully finance the cross-border infrastructure was a standing topic clearly communicated to Guyanese President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali across several bilateral encounters, listing three specific high-level meetings, including a virtual consultation between the two presidents on May 15, 2026.

Guyana rejects Suriname's claim it was told of solo bridge financing

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd.

Todd contested this timeline, stating that the virtual meeting on May 15 was convened at the personal initiative of President Ali solely to coordinate urgent disaster relief for Suriname during severe flash flooding. He noted that those discussions focused on deploying an agricultural technical team and loaning drainage pumps. “Guyana wishes to categorically state that in the meeting held on May 15, there was no discussion on financing of the bridge or a signal of departure from the collaborative approach that has guided the project from its inception,” Todd stated. He added that “contrary to the impression now being conveyed publicly, Guyana has never been informed through the established bilateral mechanisms that the Government of Suriname intended to assume sole responsibility for financing the bridge”.

The dispute grew following comments by Surinamese Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Stephen Tsang, who announced during a parliamentary budget debate that Paramaribo would bypass the shared framework to finance the bridge independently. Tsang told legislators that “it must and will be a Surinamese bridge,” noting that solo financing would reset the project’s timeline and likely necessitate a new international tender process depending on future toll and financial mechanisms.

Speaking on the sidelines of a swearing-in ceremony for puisne judges, President Ali maintained that Guyana’s position remains unchanged and that the bridge remains a strictly bilateral initiative. Ali stated that he has received no official communication regarding a policy shift other than what has been reported in the media, adding that Guyana is only interested in a joint development that covers both sovereign states. He further indicated that his administration is operating on recent personal commitments from Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, who assured him that Suriname was simply finalising its internal administrative and legal frameworks.

Todd emphasised that since the signing of the initial Memorandum of Understanding in 2020 under the administration of Surinamese President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, both nations have consistently approached the bridge as a shared strategic undertaking.”From the inception of this initiative, the bridge has been conceived as a joint project,” the statement noted.”Given its cross-border character, it has always been understood by both governments that the planning, financing, construction, operation, and management of the bridge would be matters for joint consideration and agreement”.

Addressing the public nature of the disagreement, Todd stressed that “if the government of Suriname has reconsidered its position on the financing arrangements, the appropriate course is not to communicate such a significant policy shift through public statements”.He noted that matters of this nature should instead be raised directly through established bilateral frameworks to allow for a constructive exchange of views.Todd concluded by reaffirming that Guyana remains committed to the project on the basis of “transparency, mutual respect, consultation, and decisions reached jointly by both governments”.

The proposed 3.1-kilometer structure is designed to replace the aging ferry connection between Moleson Creek, Guyana, and South Drain, Suriname, linking the two oil-producing neighbours and establishing a terrestrial connection toward French Guiana and Brazil.

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bridge financing, Corentyne River Bridge, Guyana and Suriname, Paramaribo

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