Caribbean News Now!

By Ray Chickrie
Caribbean News Now contributor

PARAMARIBO, Suriname -- Capitalizing on a successful visit by Suriname’s Vice President Robert Ameerali to Turkey last week, where he had meetings with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and President Abdullah Gul, President Desi Bouterse of Suriname on Monday appointed former prime minister and foreign affairs minister of Suriname, Liakat Ali Errol Alibux, as non-resident ambassador of Suriname to Turkey.

Erdogan wants to see the relationship move to the next level and said that the two countries will soon sign three other agreements: a visa waiver agreement, an agreement on reciprocal promotion and protection of investments, and an air transport agreement. The Turkish prime minister wants the two countries to ink these agreements soon.

Erdogan also talked about Suriname and Turkey being connected by air through the national carrier Turkish Airlines.

Turkish-Suriname ties have grown closer and are expected to reach new heights after the just-concluded visit of a 25-member trade mission to Turkey, headed by Ameerali. In Turkey, Ameerali also held talks with Turkish Economic Minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan to discuss economic cooperation between the two countries and met with the private sector in Ankara and Istanbul, where he invited Turkish entrepreneurs to invest in Suriname.

A high profile Turkish national, the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr Ekmeleddin Ishanoglu is expected in Suriname soon to discuss trade and economic cooperation with President Bouterse.

Turkey has also appointed a senior diplomat to Suriname, Ersin Ercin, who has brought the relationship to new heights. Prior to this, it was a “people to people” relationship that was nurtured in Holland where there is a large Surinamese and Turkish presence. A Dutch-Turkish trade mission visited Suriname from Holland a few years ago.

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