MPs discuss cooperation with the Netherlands in Suriname

ANP Productions | Source: ANP

Today at 08:50

China is ready to support Suriname if the Netherlands and other Western countries do not, warns Ruben Brekelmans (VVD) in Paramaribo, where he and the House of Representatives mission held discussions with the president, ministers and experts. “They said: we prefer to work with a country like the Netherlands because of the historical ties. But China has far fewer demands and far fewer conditions.”

Kati Piri (GroenLinks-PvdA), Jan Paternotte (D66) and Dennis Ram (PVV) also traveled to Paramaribo to talk about the relationship between Suriname and the Netherlands and developments in the former colony.

Ram wants good cooperation, also in the economic field. “See if you can create a partnership based on equality and respect for each other’s sovereignty, and from there see how you can improve the relationship.” The government of President Chan Santokhi has made macroeconomic progress and appreciates technical support from the Netherlands in defense, customs and tax authorities.

Sliding panels

During the meetings with Santokhi and others, the history of slavery was indirectly discussed. The Netherlands has made 66 million euros available for social initiatives and administrative cooperation in Suriname, says Paternotte. “That money has not yet been used. We have of course asked what we can do to help speed this up. And quite a few ideas were submitted. However, that is a process within Suriname that must be completed.”

The mission will travel to Brazil on Monday night local time. Very good, says Piri, because of the “blind spot” for Latin America. Views on that continent differ from those in Europe. “For example, the war, the Russian aggression against Ukraine, is sometimes experienced very differently, also by other governments here on this continent. The same applies to the war in the Middle East. So it is also good for us, with all the sliding panels in the world, to hear from such an important country in the region how the world is viewed here and these types of developments.”