Joint Statement of the Barbados-Suriname Dialogue: Renewing Mutual Interest & Strengthening Bilateral Relations
On Friday, April 8, Foreign Ministers from Barbados and the Republic of Suriname met with the aim of renewing mutual interest and strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
A delegation, including the public and private sectors of Barbados, and led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and Senior Minister coordinating Social and Environmental Policy, Senator Jerome Walcott, had dialogue with officials from Suriname, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation for the Republic of Suriname, Albert R. Ramdin.
During their dialogue exchanges, strong historical and cultural links were highlighted as they recalled the tenets of the Brokopondo Progamme for Cooperation 2018 to 2021.
The officials resolved to implement new initiatives in the areas of political consultation and collaboration, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries, trade and investment, transport and tourism, natural resources, energy and the environment, as well as education and training, youth and the creative industries.
The two sides agreed to elevate the cooperation at the highest political level, aimed at arriving at practical and tangible results from this partnership.
In addition, an action plan will be developed with clear timelines and targets to be executed by relevant stakeholders from both parties. To this end, it is envisaged that both leaders will launch a cooperation framework.
The Barbados and Surinamese authorities agreed that solidarity, dialogue and cooperation are crucial in order to jointly address matters of mutual concern and interests at the bilateral, regional and global levels.
The ministerial dialogue also included the participation of Barbados’ Minister of Energy and Business Development, and Senior Minister coordinating the Productive Sectors, Kerrie Symmonds; Minister of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security, Indar Weir; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Ministry of Business Development, Sandra Husbands; and from the Republic of Suriname, Minister of Finance and Planning, Armand Achaibersing and Minister of Agriculture, Husbandry and Fisheries, Parmanand Sewdien.