Written by Nadine Sanchara
SPEAKER of the National Assembly of Suriname, Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, together with a delegation of 11, will be visiting Guyana from Thursday to Saturday on an invitation extended by Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman.

According to a press release from the Parliament Office of Guyana, Trotman’s invitation is in keeping with the commitment made by the previous Speaker of the National Assembly, Hari Narayen Ramkarran.

Trotman has emphasised that the nature of the visit should go beyond “merely meeting” with key members of the Government and the Opposition, and posited that it should formally establish a Guyana-Suriname Association to enhance relations between the two parliaments and peoples.
Among the packed agenda planned for the visit are courtesy calls on President Donald Ramotar, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Ministers of Government, Leader of the Opposition David Granger and the Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan.
In addition, the delegation will also meet Members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Committee, Members of the Parliamentary Management Committee (PMC) and Members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations.
The delegation is expected to arrive at the Ogle International Airport around 15:00 hrs on Thursday afternoon and a cocktail reception will be hosted in their honour at the Impeccable Banquet Hall on Brickdam,  Georgetown, that night.
On Friday, the delegation will make courtesy calls on the President and Prime Minister, prior to a tour of the Parliament Chamber and Parliamentary Library and lunch with the Speaker of the National Assembly, and Members of the CPA and PMC.
Later that day, the Surinamese delegation will also pay courtesy calls on Leader of the Opposition David Granger, and Leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan, before meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly and Members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Relations with specific focus on the creation of an inter-parliamentary group consisting of Members of the two Parliaments.
This meeting will continue on Saturday after which a press conference will be held to update the media on the outcome.
Geerlings-Simons and her delegation will depart from Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on Saturday night.