Barbados Signs New Cooperation Agreements With Guyana & Suriname

• Published date: 07 July 2022
• Subject Matter: Government, Public Sector, Strategy, Industry Updates & Analysis, Government Contracts, Procurement & PPP, Economic Analysis
• Law Firm: Invest Barbados
• Author: Invest Barbados

Within the past 24 hours, Barbados signed new agreements with two of its CARICOM neighbours, providing for enhanced cooperation between the governments and the exploitation of opportunities in several areas of economic activity for their people.

The Agreement for a Strategic Dialogue and Cooperation Platform between Barbados and Suriname was signed by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley and President of Suriname Chandrikapersad Santokhi at the Presidential Palace in Paramaribo on Monday night, while the Barbados/Guyana agreement was signed during a break from talks at the 43rd Regular Meeting CARICOM Heads of Government [on Tuesday].

Responding to the assurance from the Surinamese president that he would hold his ministers and officers to a standard that would ensure the people of the two countries receive maximum benefit from the agreement, Ms. Mottley said:

'The truth is that we have seen already, substantive engagement between our private sectors. We've seen substantive engagement with ordinary people in sports and in other areas. And we are also seeing a very strong and continuous relationship with the government and people of Suriname, because we believe that we have an obligation to work with people in our neighborhood.

'And you are one of those who, for every reason, it is only language and history that have separated us thus far. And we have come to this point over the last few years to say that that should no longer be a barrier.

'Suriname is a major player in fisheries. Suriname is the location of CAHFSA, which is responsible for the regulation of sanitary and phytosanitary measures within our community. And if we want to expand our trade in food, if we want to have food security, CAHFSA is going to play a critical role in allowing us to be able to do so.'

Promising that Barbados would share what little it has with its neighbours in Suriname, who were badly affected by flooding in recent weeks because 'today for you, tomorrow for me', the Prime Minister added:

'President Santohki, we have worked perhaps closer in the last two years because of COVID, and the truth is, even though it led to a hiatus in the Brokopondo Agreement, ' particularly with the physical exchange, especially when we were getting ready to do the exchange of workers in the agricultural sector and persons coming here, what we have been able to do in the interim has been to cooperate significantly with respect to issues with the pandemic and with climate. And we want to build on that...