A NEW partnership agenda has been formulated between Guyana and its Dutch speaking neighbour Suriname, in what will hopefully lead to further concretisation of relations between the two countries. Aspects of this agenda were revealed during a joint press conference on Monday between Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo and Surinamese newly elected President Desi Bouterse who was on an official visit to Guyana.
The visiting team included Suriname’s Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Lackin and Bouterse’s Chief of Staff Harvey Naarendorp,  among others. On the local side were Head of the Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carolyn Rodridues-Birkett.
President Bouterse,  who regained Presidency of Suriname on August 12 this year after winning a majority of 36 votes against 14 in the country’s 2010 elections, arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) at 09:00 h Monday and was welcomed by Minister Rodrigues Birkett before private talks with President Jagdeo at the Office of the President complex in Georgetown.
During the talks, the two sides agreed on a number of bilateral initiatives focusing on climate change, infrastructure, security, Information Technology, mining, energy, agriculture, fisheries, and tertiary education and have agreed on mechanisms to concretise plans.
The two leaders have seen this new approach as a way of encouraging greater momentum between the two countries at the political level.
Both countries have agreed on their governments having oversight over the process of cooperation, which, according to President Jagdeo, will allow faster movement on the agreements.
President Bouterse said under the new mechanism, the Foreign Affairs Ministries in both countries will be tasked with analysing the areas of agreement and report directly to the two Presidents.
Following talks at the private level, the two then appeared before the media where President Bouterse, through his translator, disclosed his administration’s new era engagement with its partners in South America.
“Suriname is at the crossroad now and we want to share new ideas with Guyana. We have a special movement and aspiration towards South America and the Caribbean,” President Bouterse said.
With French Guiana to the East and Brazil to the South, President Bouterse said its attractions to Guyana are greater and central to its new border policy, given borders and natural resources similarities.
He believes that Guyana can learn from some of Suriname’s expertise in certain fields and Suriname from Guyana.
“We are now here to share with each other and look at what we can do together to bring the two countries and the peoples of Guyana and Suriname to a higher level,” President Bouterse said.
President Jagdeo commended the “no nonsense” approach demonstrated by the Surinamese President, and his desire to strengthen relations between the two countries. (GINA)