President Bouterse salutes growing friendship between Suriname and Guyana

— land connectivity between the two countries greatly enhanced
PRESIDENT Desire Delano Bouterse of the Republic of Suriname, recognizing the growing friendship and cooperation between his country and Guyana, has referred to plans for the construction of a bridge across the Corentyne River.
The Surinamese Head of State, who is also CARICOM Chairman, so disclosed when he arrived on a one-day state visit to Guyana on board the inaugural Surinam Airways flight to Guyana last Tuesday.
A brief ceremony at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri was hosted to inaugurate the return of Surinam Airways, and the Surinamese Head of State, along with his delegation, was welcomed by President Donald Ramotar and other officials.
In remarks at the ceremony, President Bouterse said: “This auspicious moment is of special significance because it is another manifestation of the growing friendship and cooperation between Guyana and Suriname.”
He said this friendship and cooperation is evident in regional forums in which both countries participate, referring to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO), CARICOM, the Association of Caribbean States, the Union of South American Nations, the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States, and the Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA).
Within the framework of IIRSA, he said, the countries have pledged to improve the connectivity in South America by air, sea, and land, among others, “to facilitate the people-to-people contact as well as the movements of goods”.
He said the two countries have made great progress in the field of land connectivity; for example, through implementation of the ferry service between South Drain in Suriname and Moleson Creek in Springlands, Corentyne.
“While currently we are in the process of weighing our options for the construction of the bridge over the Corentyne River,” the Suriname Head of State said, “with this inaugural flight, we are demonstrating our resolve to actively pursue integration and cooperation at bilateral level; and in so doing, also contributing to furthering regional integration in South America.
“Consequently, Surinam Airways, our national carrier, has undertaken the necessary supportive action to achieve our objectives,” he noted, insisting that fast and frequent airline connections between the two capitals are of great importance as they will enable accessibility to other regional and extra-regional destinations.
He expressed the view that nationals in the diaspora can significantly contribute to national development, and “it is our duty to provide them with the relevant tools and opportunities, which is the case with restarting the airline connection”.
President Bouterse said the day marks the beginning of a new chapter for Suriname and Guyana in their growing friendship, cooperation, air connectivity and national development.
He took the opportunity to commend the management of Surinam Airways for the important initiative, and to thank the people and the Government of Guyana for their belief in Surinam Airways.
Guyana continues to press good relations with its eastern neighbour, Suriname. Only last February, President Ramotar paid a one-day working visit to Suriname at the invitation of President Bouterse, where the two Heads of State discussed several matters of mutual interest, and exchanged ideas on ways and means of advancing their shared vision of intensifying the existing relations and cooperation between Suriname and Guyana.
Agreement was reached on areas that can forge closer ties between the two countries, and the two Presidents reiterated the importance of the construction of the bridge across the Corentyne River, to considerably enhance trade and economic relations, as well as cultural exchanges between the peoples of the two countries.
Discussions on the Corentyne River Bridge have currently progressed to the preliminary design stage.

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