Visits

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Press remarks by the President during visit to Suriname

June 20, 2018

  • It is a singular honour for me to be paying the first ever State Visit from India to Suriname . I have been received with exceptional warmth and affection by the Surinamese people. I convey my deepest gratitude to President Bouterse for making my visit a memorable one. This morning, I paid my respects at the Mama Sranan and Baba and Mai monuments. These iconic symbols of Surinamese pride and history tie our two countries in an ever-lasting bond.Yesterday, I had the honour to pay my respects to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue in the city. I could not have begun my State Visit in a more special way.
  • I had excellent meeting with President Bouterse and exchanged views on bilateral and global issues of common concern. We expressed our highest commitment to further build on the already warm and friendly relations between Suriname and India.
  • We agreed to expand the bilateral agenda especially in the areas of economic relations, cultural cooperation and development partnership.
  • We conveyed our strong support to make the International Solar Alliance a success and contribute to tacking climate change. I had the privilege to receive the Ratification Instrument of Suriname joining the International Solar Alliance from President Bouterse. To begin bilateral engagement under the Alliance, India will extend concessional financing of US Dollars 20 million for setting up a solar project to provide clean energy to a cluster of 49 villages in Suriname. We look forward to completing the project in a time-bound manner.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

  • Development Cooperation, under the rubric South-South Cooperation, is an important pillar of Indo-Surinamese relations. To further strengthen this privileged partnership, India will extend a Line of Credit of US Dollars 27.5 million to support a power transmission project in PikinSaronarea and another Line of Credit of US Dollars 3.5 million for maintenance of Chetak helicopters. We have also extended financial grants for a craft market project and a digital literacy programme. We hope our assistance will help in promoting economic sustainability and capacity building of women and children in Suriname.
  • We want to strengthen our capacity building partnership with Suriname through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation programme as well. We have, therefore, offered to raise the annual scholarships to Suriname under the programme from 40 to 50.
  • India will assist Suriname to establish a Centre of Excellence in Information Technology. An MoU to take forward this project has been signed. Besides, the two sides have also concluded four MoUs in the fields of elections, diplomatic academies partnership, employment for spouse of diplomats of the two countries and archives.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

  • I and President Bouterse discussed India-Suriname global partnership at length. He expressed Suriname’s continued support for India’s aspiration to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We also expressed our deepest concern on the threat posed by terrorism and conveyed strong support to each other to fight the global menace.
  • We conveyed our mutual satisfaction at the strong people-to-people relations and cultural cooperation that exist between the two countries. I thanked President Bouterse for donating land for constructing the new premises of the Indian Cultural Centre in Paramaribo. I look forward to jointly launching the project with him tomorrow. We also agreed to enhance cooperation to promote Ayurveda and other traditional medicinal systems of both countries. In deference to our deep mutual respect for nature and traditional knowledge, President Bouterse and I jointly planted an Arjun tree that I brought as gift from India. I hope you will nurture the tree and help it grow to be a tall symbol of our shared cultural legacy.

    Ladies and Gentlemen,

  • Tomorrow is a very special day. On June 21st, the world celebrates yoga as a common heritage of humankind. I look forward to celebrating the International Day of Yoga with President Bouterse and other yoga enthusiasts in Suriname .This would be the first time since these celebrations began in 2015 that two Heads of State would be celebrating yoga together. This would, indeed, be historic. I invite all of you to join.
  • I once again express heartfelt gratitude to you Mr. President for your very warm and gracious hospitality. I look forward to working with you to take Suriname-India relations to greater heights.
Thank you.
Dank U!



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