PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – Ambassador Stevanus Noordzee has presented his credentials to President Yitzhak Herzog of Israel, as the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country for the first time in its history named an ambassador to that country since establishing diplomatic relations in 1976.
The non-resident ambassador presented his credentials to President Herzog at a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Jerusalem. He had already submitted a copy of his credentials to Israel’s foreign ministry chief of protocol in May 2022.
During the meeting between the ambassador and the president of Israel, emphasis was placed on further promoting functional cooperation in areas such as agriculture and public health. In addition, Israel has shown interest in the Surinamese gold and oil sector.
President Herzog has asked Suriname to consider an embassy in Israel to promote diplomatic relations further and has indicated that he wishes to visit the CARICOM country.
Last year, a controversy arose after Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation, Albert Ramdin, during a visit to Israel, announced that the CARICOM country would establish an embassy in Jerusalem, the hub of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Muslim community of Suriname objected strongly to the position demanding a policy reversal.
Political parties, including those within the coalition administration, urged President Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi to re-think the position. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Marinus Bee, bluntly told the government that no Surinamese embassy should be established in Jerusalem.
President Santokhi told Parliament that no final decision had been taken regarding constructing a Surinamese embassy in Jerusalem and that the matter has yet to be included in the national budget being debated here.
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