PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – The Suriname government says it will resume negotiations with the Chinese bauxite company, Chinalco, after announcing the establishment of a special negotiating committee.
On Tuesday, a Chinalco delegation paid an introductory visit to Acting President Gregory Rusland, who said, “The negotiations must lead to an agreement that is more beneficial to the nation.”
Chinalco director Bo Qu, who headed the delegation, said that the collaboration with Suriname should be a “win-win situation”.
A government statement said that Chinalco’s plan involves mining bauxite in West Suriname and that the agreement in principle with the previous government, signed in November last year, included an investment of approximately US$426 million to construct a mine and associated infrastructure near Apoera.
Suriname would hold a 13 per cent stake and be represented in the management of the joint venture, the statement said. However, the project’s implementation stalled after residents of Apoera and surrounding villages fiercely protested the agreement.
“The renewed talks should clarify the conditions under which the project could potentially proceed,” the statement added.
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