Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARAMARIBO164
2006-03-17 13:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paramaribo
Cable title:
SURINAME CONSIDERS EXPANDING ITS MARITIME BORDER
how-toVZCZCXRO3027 PP RUEHGR DE RUEHPO #0164 0761358 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 171358Z MAR 06 FM AMEMBASSY PARAMARIBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8165 INFO RUCNCOM/EC CARICOM COLLECTIVE RUEHAO/AMCONSUL CURACAO 0988 RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 1583 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0142 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 1989 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHEBAAA/USDOE WASHDC
UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000164
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR: LLUFTIG, WHA/EPSC, IO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PBTS PGOV PHSA PREL KTIA ECON EPET ENRG NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME CONSIDERS EXPANDING ITS MARITIME BORDER
(ECONOMIC ZONE)
REF: 05 PARAMARIBO 704
UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000164
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR: LLUFTIG, WHA/EPSC, IO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PBTS PGOV PHSA PREL KTIA ECON EPET ENRG NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME CONSIDERS EXPANDING ITS MARITIME BORDER
(ECONOMIC ZONE)
REF: 05 PARAMARIBO 704
1. Suriname's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lygia Kraag
Keteldijk, announced on March 10, that Suriname would
exercise its option to increase the country's maritime
border (northern Atlantic seacoast) an additional 150
nautical miles under the auspices of the United Nation's
Convention on the Law of the Sea. Suriname presently
claims a maritime border of 200 nautical miles and, per the
treaty, signatories have until 2009 to exercise their
option to extend the coastal border to the legal limit of
350 nautical miles.
2. Suriname has assigned the task of preparing the UN
petition to its Border Commission, headed by Surinamese
attorney Mr. Hans Lim A Po. The commission will also be
assisted by Alex OudeElferink of the Dutch Institute for
the Law of the Sea, and Eddy Jharap, former General Manager
of the state-owned oil company, Staatsolie. OudeElferink
and Lim A Po are also members of the Surinamese Arbitration
Commission responsible for arguing the Suriname-Guyana
border dispute currently before the International Tribunal
for the Law of the Sea. Suriname expects to spend 1.5
million USD over the next three years on preparing its
claim for the extended zone. The financing for this
project will come from Staatsolie.
3. Border Commission chair Lim A Po told the press that in
the most realistic assessment, Suriname would be eligible
to claim an additional 50 to 60 nautical miles. In
supporting its claim, Suriname will need to need to
consider three important factors:
:
-- possible competing claims with its eastern neighbor,
French Guiana. Even though both France and Suriname do not
currently have agreement on the precise dimensions of the
shared 200 nautical mile coastal shelf, both countries have
shown a willingness to cooperate on mapping the course of
the shared border and are willing to present their petition
to the UN jointly.
-- a more vexing problem that may arise from its western
neighbor, Guyana. The International Tribunal for the Law
of the Seas is expected to hand down its ruling in the
long-standing maritime border dispute in early 2007. The
court would need to settle the current dispute with Guyana
in time for Suriname to meet the 2009 deadline.
-- potential problems with Barbados, which is also
preparing a claim to expand its economic zone. The
expansion of an additional 150 nautical miles due north may
result in overlapping claims.
4. Suriname's motivation to expand its economic zone is
being partially driven by the recent increase in oil
exploration off its coast (see Reftel). Both Suriname and
bordering countries will have interests in clearly defined
territorial demarcation as Suriname begins to grant
drilling rights in potentially lucrative offshore oil
fields.
BARNES
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR: LLUFTIG, WHA/EPSC, IO
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PBTS PGOV PHSA PREL KTIA ECON EPET ENRG NS
SUBJECT: SURINAME CONSIDERS EXPANDING ITS MARITIME BORDER
(ECONOMIC ZONE)
REF: 05 PARAMARIBO 704
1. Suriname's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lygia Kraag
Keteldijk, announced on March 10, that Suriname would
exercise its option to increase the country's maritime
border (northern Atlantic seacoast) an additional 150
nautical miles under the auspices of the United Nation's
Convention on the Law of the Sea. Suriname presently
claims a maritime border of 200 nautical miles and, per the
treaty, signatories have until 2009 to exercise their
option to extend the coastal border to the legal limit of
350 nautical miles.
2. Suriname has assigned the task of preparing the UN
petition to its Border Commission, headed by Surinamese
attorney Mr. Hans Lim A Po. The commission will also be
assisted by Alex OudeElferink of the Dutch Institute for
the Law of the Sea, and Eddy Jharap, former General Manager
of the state-owned oil company, Staatsolie. OudeElferink
and Lim A Po are also members of the Surinamese Arbitration
Commission responsible for arguing the Suriname-Guyana
border dispute currently before the International Tribunal
for the Law of the Sea. Suriname expects to spend 1.5
million USD over the next three years on preparing its
claim for the extended zone. The financing for this
project will come from Staatsolie.
3. Border Commission chair Lim A Po told the press that in
the most realistic assessment, Suriname would be eligible
to claim an additional 50 to 60 nautical miles. In
supporting its claim, Suriname will need to need to
consider three important factors:
:
-- possible competing claims with its eastern neighbor,
French Guiana. Even though both France and Suriname do not
currently have agreement on the precise dimensions of the
shared 200 nautical mile coastal shelf, both countries have
shown a willingness to cooperate on mapping the course of
the shared border and are willing to present their petition
to the UN jointly.
-- a more vexing problem that may arise from its western
neighbor, Guyana. The International Tribunal for the Law
of the Seas is expected to hand down its ruling in the
long-standing maritime border dispute in early 2007. The
court would need to settle the current dispute with Guyana
in time for Suriname to meet the 2009 deadline.
-- potential problems with Barbados, which is also
preparing a claim to expand its economic zone. The
expansion of an additional 150 nautical miles due north may
result in overlapping claims.
4. Suriname's motivation to expand its economic zone is
being partially driven by the recent increase in oil
exploration off its coast (see Reftel). Both Suriname and
bordering countries will have interests in clearly defined
territorial demarcation as Suriname begins to grant
drilling rights in potentially lucrative offshore oil
fields.
BARNES