Bridgetown --- March 16, 2009 -- The inaugural session of the Suriname-Barbados Joint Commission will be held in Paramaribo, Suriname next month.


This announcement was made by Barbados’ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator Maxine McClean and her Surinamese counterpart Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk, after talks last Friday, March 13, while they were in Belize attending the just concluded 20th Inter-sessional meeting of CARICOM Heads of Government.


The Joint Commission is provided for in the “Agreement for the Deepening of Bilateral Cooperation between the Government of Barbados and the Government of Republic of Suriname” as a mechanism to oversee its implementation, including by preparing a joint work programme to guide future cooperation between the countries.


The Ministers emphasised the deep bonds of friendship that exist between their countries and people. They also underlined the importance both states attach to the continued deepening of the regional integration movement which had served to bring Suriname and Barbados closer together.


They agreed that the convening of the Joint Commission meeting marks a new era in bilateral cooperation and will provide significant opportunities for deepened cooperation, in areas of priority interest to both countries, including trade and investment, agriculture, housing, environment, education and training, science and technology, marine affairs, culture and sports