By Nadine Sanchara

GUYANA and Suriname have agreed on the establishment of a structural cooperation between their two Houses, which is felt would redound to the mutual benefit of both countries.

This is according to Speaker of the Suriname National Assembly, Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, and her Guyanese counterpart, Mr. Raphael Trotman, both of whom made the disclosure yesterday during a joint press conference at the Public Buildings, official seat of government business, on Brickdam, here in the city.
Dr Geerlings-Simons and a delegation of Members of the Suriname National Assembly were in Guyana on an official visit, began Thursday, at the invitation of her colleague, Speaker Raphael Trotman. The delegation departed last evening.
The Surinamese head of delegation said the visit was a good footing on which to start the proposed cooperation between the two parliaments, and noted that she and her delegation learnt a lot while here.
“Indeed, we should continue to strengthen and formalize the cooperation and the contact between the parliaments, because we are neighbours,” Geerlings-Simons said, adding:
“We are not only neighbours; we are people with a similar history, and if we want security, development and happiness for our peoples, we have no choice but to live as good neighbours and friends.”
Noting that the colonial powers have left the two South American countries with some serious issues to be resolved, such as an age-old border dispute, she said they both need to be creative and wise in overcoming those challenges, and in the meantime work together on the many opportunities that do exist to further development and prosperity of their respective peoples.
The Surinamese delegation met Friday with members of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Foreign Affairs, whose members come from both government and opposition sides. It was during this meeting that the agreement for cooperation between the two parliaments was made structural.
Dr. Geerlings-Simons said, “We cannot keep living as neighbours without knowing each other.” She said that is why the Surinamese delegation came to Guyana; and she advised that the delegation would be taking back positive reports to the Surinamese Parliament.
“I think the progress was that we decided that we want it, and that we will look for the most appropriate form for both parliaments; but that we agreed very much that we need a structural form of cooperation between the parliaments,” she stated.

‘We are not only neighbours; we are people with a similar history, and if we want security, development and happiness for our peoples, we have no choice but to live as good neighbours and friends’
– Dr. Jennifer Geerlings-Simons

She said the Parliament of Suriname hopes to receive a delegation from the Guyanese Parliament by next year, and that an invitation would be extended in this regard in the near future.
Dr. Geerlings-Simons pointed out that the Parliamentary systems in Suriname being different from those in Guyana may be one of the benefits of establishing structured cooperation between the parliaments.
She explained that by establishing such cooperation, the parliaments would be able to learn more about their similarities and differences, thus minimising instances of misunderstanding.
In addition, she said that the contact group between the two parliaments can discuss the problems and challenges faced by both countries, in order to see how they handle it and how the governments (can) work together.
Dr. Geerlings-Simons deemed it wise for each country to know what the other is doing in terms of legislation, since, without this knowledge, the many issues which affect both countries can backfire.
Guyana’s National Assembly Speaker, Mr. Raphael Trotman, explained that rather than an inter-parliamentary association, as was previously proposed, contact group should be established, which would meet regularly. “Both of us more than likely will have to rely on our parliaments as well as maybe our Ministries of Foreign Affairs for some guidance in this regard; but, in principle, it was agreed that we would become closer, share experiences, knowledge, even systems, and try to experience each other’s parliaments as best as possible,” he stated.
He stressed, though, that the breakthrough was really in getting the parliaments together and starting a conversation.
Mr. Trotman also pointed out that there are tens of thousands of Guyanese and relatives of Guyanese living in Suriname; and, as such, the cooperation is important. “The river really unites us, rather than separates us,” he said.
Trotman presented Dr. Geerlings-Simons and her delegation with tokens and also a painting of Guyana’s Marshall Falls done by Guyanese artist Merlene Ellis, a gift from the Parliament of Guyana to the Parliament of Suriname.