PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – The Surinamese government says it will sign aviation agreements with several countries in the Middle East as the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries seek to develop its existing relationship with countries in that region.
Transport, Communication, and Tourism Minister Albert Jubithana is traveling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for this purpose, where he will sign the first aviation agreement on Monday. A day later, he is in Qatar to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with that country.
“The Surinamese government has set itself the goal of having signed more than 30 aviation agreements by the end of its term in office,” Jubithana told reporters before his departure, adding that the government found 13 aviation agreements in place when it took office in July 2020.
“We can’t have this. I now have to fly from the south to the north and from the north to the south again to reach my destination. The flight takes too long this way. If we already had an airline agreement, I could go from flying point to point,” said Jubithana
He said he had received invitations last month from the Arab countries to sign the agreements. In Qatar, he will also have a meeting with the chief executive officer of Qatar Airways to determine whether the airline would be able to service the route between the two countries, adding that local businesses could capitalize on the new agreements to be signed as Suriname moves to export goods and service to the Middle East.
Before his return here, Jubithana will visit the Netherlands too, among other things, to hold talks with Europa-park, an organization made up of hotel chains, water parks, and amusement parks. Jubithana wants to promote eco-tourism here and notes that with 93 percent pristine forest cover, Suriname is the greenest country in the world.
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