Address of His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana at the Accreditation Ceremony of His Excellency Ebu Jones, Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname
I am pleased to accept the Letters of Credence accrediting you as Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. I welcome you to Guyana and congratulate you on your appointment.
I ask that you convey to His Excellency Desire Delano Bouterse my wishes for his personal well- being and for the happiness of the people of Suriname.
Guyana established formal diplomatic relations with Suriname on its attainment of Independence on 25th November 1975. We will mark the 45th anniversary of the establishment of these ties next year, 2020.
Guyana and Suriname are bound by bonds of geography, history and mutual interests. Our relationship is founded on mutual respect for each other’s’ territorial integrity and sovereignty, mutual noninterference in each other’s international affairs, cooperation for mutual benefit, respect for treaties and international law and the maintenance of regional peace and security. The preservation of regional peace and security is vital to protecting our common interests.
Guyana is committed to ensuring that the Caribbean and the South American continent remain a zone of peace. Peace in our region could be endangered by transnational threats such as trafficking in illegal weapons, narcotics and people, illegal migration, money laundering, environmental hazard and territorial controversies.
Guyana and Suriname have collaborated in the fields of agriculture, culture, environment, fisheries, forestry, health, mining, security, trade and transportation.
Guyana looks forward to working with Suriname- within the ambit of the Caribbean Community and the Guyana- Suriname Cooperation Council to continue to improve trade, to intensify cultural, economic, environmental and social cooperation and to combat transnational threats.
Guyana is moving towards the establishment of a “green” state, one that will place emphasis on the protection of our environment, the preservation of our biodiversity, the promotion of renewable energy and the adoption of practical measures to ensure adaptation to climate change.
Guyana and Suriname, together larger than Germany, are part of the Guiana Shield- one of the world’s largest blocks of tropical forest and most biologically rich and diverse zones.
We enjoy high levels of forest cover, which provide environmental services that are vital for earth’s survival. Environmental cooperation between Guyana and Suriname could become a model for the protection and sustainable management of our forests and their biodiversity.
Your appointment provides an opportunity to consolidate cooperation between our two Republics and to continue to promote neighbourly relations.
I wish you every success as you embark on your tenure in Georgetown, I assure you of my Government’s full support in the fulfilment of your mandate.