The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname will visit Curaçao from January 22 to 24 next.
WILLEMSTAD - On Monday, January 22, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname, Mr. Albert Ramdin, will arrive in Curaçao as part of an official visit upon the invitation of our Minister of Economic Development, Mr. Ruisandro Cijntje. During this visit, Minister Ramdin will sign a Letter of Intent together with Minister Cijntje to initiate a negotiation process for a package of agreements in the areas of industry, commerce, and investment between Curaçao and Suriname, as well as increased technical cooperation in other relevant areas for both countries.
Other highly important points to be concretized through this Letter of Intent include intentions to establish a bilateral commercial agreement in the form of a Partial Scope trade agreement between the two countries and a bilateral fiscal treaty between Curaçao and Suriname in close collaboration with the Minister of Finance. The significance of this moment lies in the fact that, despite the historical relations and ties between Curaçao and Suriname, this Letter of Intent marks the first time that the two countries will formally establish commercial relations since 10-10-10.
For some time now, the international financial sector in Curaçao has shown significant interest in developments in Suriname, particularly in the petroleum sector. In November 2022, Curaçao hosted a Commercial Mission to Suriname, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO), marking one of several occasions to begin working on ties through the so-called Suriname – Curaçao Financial Corridor, which is proving highly beneficial for the business world in both countries. In addition to the November 2022 visit, the Ministry of Economic Development (MEO) has organized various commercial visits to Suriname over the past years with the goal of working together on concrete actions to stimulate commerce between Curaçao and Suriname, as well as commerce via Curaçao to extend beyond the region, both in the business and governmental sectors. Agreements such as the LOI to be signed this Tuesday are designed to facilitate discussions on how Curaçao can support Suriname in the financial sector during the anticipated exponential growth in the coming years.
Suriname is an extremely important commercial, social, and cultural ally for Curaçao. There are strong historical ties between Curaçao and Suriname dating back centuries, making it valuable to reinforce these connections. In light of this, it is a pleasure to welcome Minister Ramdin to Curaçao in the coming week and contribute to the intentions to continue collaborating and cooperating for a future full of possibilities for both countries. In addition to the signing of the LOI, Minister Ramdin will have courtesy visits with the Governor, Prime Minister, President of Parliament, and various other Ministers and dignitaries. He will also engage with the International Financial Sector and some members of the diaspora.