Please talk us through some of the high-level visits that have taken place between the two countries in recent times.

In recent years, there has been a great dynamism in India-Suriname relations. The first ever historic state visit of the Hon’ble President of India H.E. Mr. Ram Nath Kovind to Suriname took place in June 2018. Vice-President (VP) of Suriname, H.E. Mr. Michael Ashwin Adhin visited India in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and met Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on each occasion and in 2018 met his Indian Counterpart in Chicago for World Hindu Congress. In 2019, Vice President Mr. Adhin visited India twice and was awarded with Honorary Doctorate by Lovely Professional University, Punjab. VP met with Prime Minister Modi at New York on the margins of UNGA in September, 2019. External Affairs Minister of India met with his Surinamese counterpart at New York on the margins of UNGA in September, 2018 and 2019 respectively. In October, 2018, Agriculture Minister Mr. Lekhram Soredjan visited India and held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Shri Radha Mohan Singh on October 04, 2018 and in February, 2019, Minister of Natural Resources Mr. Regilio Dodson leading a 3-member delegation visited India to participate in Petrotech, 2019 conference. Besides, there were several visits by senior officials, academicians and cultural troupes.

These high level bilateral visits and meetings have contributed immensely in further consolidating bonds between the two countries. The successful conclusion of the 6th Joint Commission Meeting held in Paramaribo in April 2017 and implementation on the agreed minutes and the desire and commitment of the new leadership under H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, President of the Republic of Suriname, has added further momentum to bilateral relations. The current momentum of bilateral relations is expected to grow further in diverse areas with the 7th Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) which is proposed to be held virtually on December 3, 2020.