Suriname-Guyana and Holland to hold trilateral meeting

On the 45 independence anniversary of the Republic of Suriname, President of Guyana Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali, the Dutch Foreign minister Stef Blok, Curacao Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath, Foreign minister of Brazil, Ernesto Araújo and high-level delegations from France and Ghana would travel to Paramaribo.

The Ministers and delegations would come together to commemorate the event and facilitate high-level meetings between these five countries.

The independence celebrations this year are significant amidst significant oil and gas findings in both Guyana and Suriname and have a major global focus.

President Irfaan Ali would arrive in Suriname on Monday evening and is expected to sign some key agreements with the president of the Republic of Suriname, Chan Santokhi.

One of these agreements would be an agreement to bridge the Corentyne River, which separates the two countries. This would connect Guyana with the South American landmass.

According to Suriname media, a formal meeting would take place between Ali and Santokhi on Tuesday. The Guyanese president would also visit Staatsolie. Ali would be the only guest to address the National Assembly in an extraordinary public meeting.

Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok would arrive in Suriname on Tuesday to meet with regional leaders and reset ties with regional leaders who would be in Paramaribo.

It would be the first high-level visit of a Dutch official to Suriname in over ten years.

Suriname is the only independent Dutch-speaking country in CARICOM.

Suriname has close ties with Holland.

Suriname was under the Kingdom of the Netherlands until 1975, and then it became an independent nation. Now Holland is looking to reset relations which are mutually beneficial to both countries.

The Suriname foreign minister held a bilateral meeting in the Hague with Stef Blok in October.

Blok said that he had a good meeting in the Hague with Suriname’s minister of finance, Armand Achaibersing and his Surinamese counterpart, Albert Ramdin.