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🤝Suriname agrees to improvements in international and interregional relationships

🤝Suriname agrees to improvements in international and interregional relationships

and the controversy around the Mennonites continues.

De Brief
February 05, 2024

Suriname and Kuwait have formally established diplomatic relationships, and intend to develop these further. This step aligns with Suriname's foreign policy by creating engaging strategic partnerships.
The Permanent Representative of Suriname to the United Nations, Ambassador Sunil Sitaldin, emphasized the long-standing friendly relationship between Suriname and Kuwait.
He expects that these diplomatic ties will provide new opportunities for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, especially in areas like international peace and security, the climate crisis as well as sustainable development.
Bilaterally, the countries have discussed investments in oil, gas, carbon credit markets, agriculture as well as promoting tourism and cultural exchange. Topics also discussed focused on establishing a framework for political consultation and technical assistance for development projects.
Furthermore, Kuwait also expressed cooperation interest in the areas of energy, water, and food security, including access to the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, which has played a fundamental role in international development efforts in the Middle East.

Caricom countries on a map

CARICOM (The Caribbean Community) is an interregional community of 15 countries throughout the Caribbean with Suriname, Guyana, and Belize that focuses on economic integration and cooperation among member countries.
CARICOM allows for processes such as operating as a single market and coordinating economic policies within the region.
In March of this year, however, the realization of the free movement of people throughout the region is set to become a reality. The government within Suriname has agreed to this as well.
As the Ministries of Labor, and Economic Affairs monitor the decision, an intergovernmental task force has been set up to implement this decision focusing on promoting economic activities in the region.
The aim is to strengthen the CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy) to allow capital, labor, and different service providers to move throughout the region to expand economic opportunities.
The intergovernmental task force will examine different perspectives of the different member countries such as healthcare and education.
The government acknowledged that full freedom of movement within the region offers opportunities to settle abroad in other member countries easily but primarily focuses on engaging in economic activities throughout the bloc.
The task force set up aims to balance stimulating economic growth as well as ensuring services that remain essential such as education and healthcare for people moving to different member countries.

A meeting regarding the arrival of Mennonites in the Marowijne district of Suriname, scheduled for this previous weekend, was canceled.
The representative for the Mennonites, Ruud Souverein, clarified that the meeting was not about buying land but was focused on discussing the plans of the Mennonites and misconceptions that they state have come up.
He emphasized that the Mennonites have no intentions to settle in the Marowijne district or the Commewijne district due to unstable land.
However, as they seek land that is suitable for agriculture, they seek to settle in land that is between West Surianme and the Coast.
The cancellation of the meeting came after several attendees canceled.
The meeting's purpose was to understand the Mennonites’ intentions and benefits for the district of Marowijne regarding development.
The Mennonites issue in Suriname continues to cause a lot of controversy as citizens state that a lot of the land being discussed to be given to the Mennonites can be used for economic opportunities for citizens.