PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC):

Barbados and Suriname will on Monday hold bilateral talks in Paramaribo concerning the expansion of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of both countries beyond the 200 nautical miles, authorities here have disclosed.

Coastal states, according to Article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), can file a request with the United Nations for expansion of their EEZ beyond the 200 nautical miles with a maximum to the 350 nautical miles limit if they can prove that their continental shelf reaches further than 200 nautical miles.

Suriname's deadline to file a claim with the UN expires on May 13, 2009. It is expected that, if successful, Suriname could add an extra 70,000 to 120,000 square kilometres of sea area to its territory.