PARAMARIBO, Suriname – President Jennifer Greelings-Simons leaves here on Wednesday for official visits to Brazil and the Dominican Republic, optimistic that it will result in improved relations with the two countries.
jPresident Jennifer Greelings-SimonsPresident Greelings-Simons, who is leading a broad delegation including government ministers and representatives of the private sector, told reporters that the visit to Brazil will focus primarily on opportunities in the socio-economic including cooperation in the areas of defense, aviation, trade, and the agricultural sector.
She said that in doing so, she intends to seriously investigate the possibilities for a shorter shipping route between Suriname and Brazil that would allow goods to be transported to Suriname more quickly and cheaply.
“But through this avenue, we are also working towards realizing the opportunity Suriname has to export rice to Mercosur, (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay). There has been a whole month of preparation to arrive at concrete matters. Brazil is our large southern neighbor and, for various reasons, very important to Suriname,” the head of state told reporters.
She said that aviation will also be a major talking point during the talks with her Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , adding that she wants improved connections and possible support for the Surinamese Aviation Company (SLM).
Following her visit to Brazil, she will travel to Dominican Republic for a visit that will focus more on cooperation in the tourism sector before retuning home on June 2.
