NEW DELHI: India and Suriname resolved on Wednesday to add new momentum to their bilateral relations in the fields of business and investment, with the aim to enhance cooperation in sectors like health, energy and defence.
The 7th India-Suriname joint commission meeting, held virtually, was co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan and Suriname Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation Ambassador Albert R Ramdin.
The discussions were held in an atmosphere of warmth against the backdrop of friendly India-Suriname relations, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Both ministers underscored the importance of this mechanism in deepening political dialogue, reviewing bilateral ties, and exchanging views on regional and multilateral cooperation, the MEA said.
The ministers agreed to add new momentum to the bilateral relations in the fields of business and investment with the aim to enhance, among others, the cooperation towards the establishment of creative industries, health, traditional system of medicine, agriculture, mining, energy, defence, culture and education, consular cooperation and development partnership, and strengthen people-to-people ties, it said.
The two sides noted with satisfaction that India-Suriname relations, which have strong cultural and historical bonds, are marked by cordiality and a high degree of understanding and convergence of views on a range of issues.
The two ministers acknowledged the importance of undertaking developmental projects under concessional conditions, including through lines of credits, in the spirit of 'south-south' cooperation.
They noted that India's development partnership with Suriname covers a wide range of sectors, including the power generation and transmission network, general supply and water supply.
Muraleedharan and Ramdin looked forward to the early implementation of projects in the pipeline that aim to contribute to energy security, energy efficiency and energy mix of Suriname, according to the statement.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to provide mutual support in international fora, including United Nations Security Council Reforms.
They resolved to continue to work closely together, through the mechanism of the joint commission, on various issues in order to further strengthen and expand the bilateral relations.
It was agreed that the next JCM meeting would be held in 2022 in Paramaribo on a mutually-convenient date, the MEA said.