Page "Foreign relations of Guyana" Paragraph 3

Two neighbours have longstanding territorial disputes with Guyana.

Since the 19th century, Venezuela has claimed all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River — 62 % of Guyana's territory.

At a meeting in Geneva in 1966, the two countries agreed to receive recommendations from a representative of the UN Secretary General on ways to settle the dispute peacefully.

Diplomatic contacts between the two countries and the Secretary General's representative continue.

Neighbouring Suriname also claims the territory east of Guyana's New River, a largely uninhabited area of some in southeast Guyana.

Guyana and Suriname also disputed their offshore maritime boundaries.

This dispute flared up in June 2000 in response to an effort by a Canadian company to drill for oil under a Guyanese concession.

Guyana regards its legal title to all of its territory as sound.

However, the dispute with Suriname was arbitrated by the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea and a ruling in favor of Guyana was announced in September, 2007.