Guyana's President Irfaan Ali Holds Official Talks in Suriname

Guyana's President Irfaan Ali and his Surinamese counterpart Chandrikapersad Santokhi held a series of meetings on Tuesday to discuss bilateral cooperation.

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The meetings concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the Corentyne River Bridge, which is aimed at promoting transport, trade, and tourism between the two countries and the possible creation of a free trade zone.

The two leaders decided to establish a Border Commission with the purpose of "resolving pending issues" in this area and a Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement supported by Guyana and Suriname's Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform (SDCP) to implement joint projects.

"The Corentyne River bridge is not only important to facilitate the movement of persons and goods, trade and cross-border cooperation, but it also symbolizes a transition from the oath to a new era, where there are well-being and prosperity of the people, democracy, and rule of law," President Santokhi said.

President Ali is on a three-day official visit to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Suriname's independence. It is his first official trip abroad since he took office in August this year.

"We will focus on integration and regionalization in an open and transparent manner, which is results-oriented, forward-looking, and based on trust and joint actions. There are negative issues, but when we convert energy in a positive direction, only the country and people will benefit," he said.

Formerly known as Dutch Guiana, Suriname gained its independence from the Netherlands on 25 November 1975.