To enhance the performance of their agriculture and health sectors, Ministers from Suriname and Guyana signed two key agreements at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) yesterday.
The first agreement was signed between Guyana’s Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, and Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Suriname, Hendrik Setrowidjojo. The protocol on trade in fresh agricultural produce will see both countries working together to meet their international obligations on the production, certification, processing, packaging, storing, and transportation of agricultural produce.
The protocol focuses on the local and organic production of fresh crops and livestock by providing guidelines under which they will be produced, stored, and eventually packaged and transported to each country. Both nations have also agreed to collaborate on addressing access to North American, European, and regional markets.
The second agreement was signed between Health Minister, Frank Anthony who also acted in the capacity of the Foreign Affairs Minister, and Albert Ramdin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation for Suriname. They signed an agreement for the establishment of services in the field of health care. That agreement is expected to pave the way for the development of joint programmes for professional health care and public health services, disease control, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, pharmaceutical services, and research.
It also sets out that both will coordinate their efforts on cross-border diagnostics for COVID-19, contact tracing and quarantine, and developing a risk communication strategy in COVID-19 awareness and vaccination.
