On the sidelines of the 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokhi visited Ahmedabad Gujarat for a “Business Session”. Along with the President, other Suriname delegation and Minister of State for Railways and textiles , Darshana Jardosh was also present in the event.
Talking to Vibes Of India, Minister of State for Railways and textiles, Darshana Jardosh said that “ Since two countries share common cultural belief, however, Indo-Surinamese trade ties will also spike up through sectors like Health, Textile, Agro, Technology, Manufacturing sector will grow immensely.”
Adding, she said “In 2023, Suriname will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Indians to Suriname. There is a growing momentum in bilateral ties and the visit by President Santokhi opens a new chapter in ever increasing ties. Strengthening India’s and Suriname ties the Indian Textile Export to Suriname was around US$ 0.7 million in FY21 which was around 3% of the of the total global import by Suriname”
Addressing the India and Suriname Business Session, Mr. Santokhi said that “India and Suriname hold immense potential to enhance trade, economic relations, with the Indian diaspora as a major force for driving transformational changes. There has been enhanced bilateral cooperation from both sides in focus sectors like Agriculture & Agro processing sectors, Oil & Gas, Mining, amongst others.”
He further said that “During his tenure as a minister, it took weeks for Suriname to make an agreement, But in India it only took two days to sign an agreement.”
The State Minister tweeted that “Honoured to be a part of Joint Business Session with His Excellency Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname in Ahmedabad. Shared insights on strengthening Indo-Surinamese trade ties through sectors like Health, Textile, Agro and others.”
India has close, warm, and friendly relations with Suriname, which are bolstered by cultural and people-to-people contact established by the arrival of the Indian Diaspora 142 years ago. Over 2,30,000 people of Indian origin from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as well as 50 Sindhi families living in Suriname, contribute significantly to the economy, civil service, technocrats, and Suriname’s composite cultural milieu.
Suriname has supported India’s Candiancy on a variety of multilateral platforms, including elections to various UN bodies, including the recently held ICJ elections.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi said that “held discussions on cooperation in areas of mutual interest including hydrocarbons, defence, maritime security, digital initiatives and ICT, and capacity building.” Santokhi also thanked India for restructuring Suriname’s debt from Lines of Credit extended by New Delhi.
However, President of Suriname Chandrika Prasad Santokhi attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention in Indore on January 09.
Suriname is one of South America’s smallest countries, but its population is one of the most ethnically diverse in the region. Its economy is based on its abundant supply of natural resources, most notably bauxite, of which it is one of the world’s leading producers. The country’s southern four-fifths are almost entirely covered in pristine tropical rainforest.
Dignitaries and key speakers present during the session were, Smt Darshana Jardosh Hon’ble Minister of State for Railways & Textiles Government of India; H E Mr Albert R Ramdin Minister of Foreign Affairs International Business and International Cooperation (BIBIS) Government of Suriname; Mr Jai Shroff, Chairman, CII National Committee on Latin America & Caribbean (LAC) and Global CEO, UPL Limited; Dr Amrut Naik Chair, FICCI-LAC Regional Council & President & Head- International Business, Zydus Life Sciences Ltd; Mr Chintan Thaker Chairman, ASSOCHAM Gujarat Council & Group President – Corporate Affairs & Strategic Planning, Welspun Group.
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