[www.inewsguyana.com] – The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Dr Barton Scotland together with a delegation of Members of Parliament and the Clerk and staff of the National Assembly, paid a four-day visit to the Speaker and the National Assembly of the Republic of Suriname aimed at consolidating and cementing relations between the two National Assemblies.
A joint press release stated that a number of meetings were held between the two Speakers and their delegations where views were exchanged for the improvement of the workings of the National Assemblies of the two countries.
There was however no mention of recent statements by Suriname over its claim of the New River Triangle area which is part of Guyana’s territory.
It was stated that, Suriname’s Minister of Health informed the meeting of the introduction in Suriname of Health in all policies – a World Health Organisation (WHO) Policy recommended to countries. This is an approach to public policies across sectors that systematically takes into account the health implications of decisions, seeks synergies, and avoids harmful health impacts, in order to improve population health and health equity.
Meanwhile, “the delegations noted that Suriname and Guyana faced the same problems with regard to Climate Change and the rise in sea levels. The Guyanese delegation presented an overview of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) – Guyana’s vision to promoting economic development, while at the same time combating climate change. The delegations, noting the similarity of geography, agreed that the LCDS would be a useful initiative for Suriname to implement. The meeting agreed that both countries should continue dialogue and collaborate to address these issues at the international level.”
The meeting also noted that the issue of piracy was common to both countries while making reference to the prevalence of piracy in the Corentyne River. After discussing the severity of piracy with particular emphasis on the effects on fishermen, the meeting proffered the following suggestions that could be considered by both countries to combat this crime.
These include a collaboration between law enforcement agencies of both countries with emphasis on patrolling targeted areas; and engaging in dialogue at the national level.
The meeting identified the problems faced by both countries in relation to human trafficking, noting that this is more prevalent in the interior of both countries.
