In New Delhi on Tuesday, Secretary (South) Neena Malhotra met with Suriname’s outgoing ambassador, Arunkoemar Hardien, to assess how the two countries are doing in their partnership. She extended good wishes for his future plans.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X that the Secretary (South) had hosted a farewell lunch for Mr Hardien as his posting in India ended, discussed the progress in bilateral ties, and wished him the best of luck for what lies ahead.
Hardien formally presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 26 August 2022 after being appointed to India.
On 24 November, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar talked with Suriname’s foreign minister, Melvin Bouva, over the phone to congratulate them on the 50th anniversary of independence. He posted on X, “Pleasure to speak with FM Melvin Bouva of Suriname. Conveyed good wishes on the 50th anniversary of Suriname’s Independence. Look forward to deepening our partnership and people-to-people ties.”
EAM Jaishankar had already met Bouva in September during the 80th UN General Assembly session in New York. After that meeting he shared on X, “Pleasure to get to know FM Melvin Bouva of Suriname today. Appreciate his warm words for our ties.”
In June, Suriname received its first shipment of fruit‑processing machinery, funded by the USD 1 million Small and Medium‑Enterprise (SME) grant announced by India’s EAM. The Embassy of India in Suriname posted: “Under the USD 1 million SME grant aid announced by EAM S Jaishankar, the first shipment of fruit processing machinery, received in Suriname. Once operational, the processing facility will enhance value addition to local agricultural products.”
India had pledged this grant to SME projects when EAM Jaishankar met Suriname’s then‑minister Albert Ramdin during the India‑Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) meeting in Guyana on 21 April 2023.
The relationship between India and Suriname is warm and friendly, nurtured by centuries of cultural ties and the Indian diaspora’s early presence there. Both countries run joint mechanisms for cooperation, including ministerial‑level joint commission meetings and a joint working group on agriculture. According to the MEA, they’ve actively worked together on development partnerships, with India providing line‑of‑credit facilities and grant assistance.
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