Paramaribo [Suriname], September 6 (ANI): India's Ambassador to Suriname, Subhash Gupta, recently held discussions with Suriname's Minister for External Affairs, Alva Baptist, focusing on avenues to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two nations, according to an official statement issued by the Indian Embassy in Suriname.

"High Commissioner Subhash Gupta paid a farewell courtesy call to the Minister for External Affairs, Alva Baptist, Senior Minister Stephenson King & Keithson Hermine Charles on September 4. They discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations," the Indian Embassy stated on the social media platform X.

In the preceding week, Ambassador Gupta also facilitated the handover of Quick Impact Projects (QIPs).

The initiatives included the inauguration of a pedestrian safety project in Paramaribo, marked by a plaque jointly unveiled by Suriname's Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Stephen Tsang, and Ambassador Gupta.

'Today, India handed over a pedestrian safety project in Paramaribo under QIP. A plaque jointly unveiled by Suriname Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning and Ambassador Subhash Gupta is a tangible outcome in the Golden Jubilee year of India-Suriname relations,' the Embassy conveyed on X.

These collaborative efforts build upon previous high-level engagements, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit in May, during which he inaugurated a fruit processing facility in Paramaribo established through Indian financial support.

The installation of fruit processing machinery was funded via the USD 1 million Small and Medium Enterprises grant announced by EAM Jaishankar in 2025.

Reflecting on the initiative during the inauguration ceremony, Union Minister Jaishankar remarked, 'This project also serves to underline a larger message of India as a partner of Suriname and of the Global South.'

Emphasising that the nation's dedication to the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', signifying the world as one family, is evidenced through concrete actions and targeted projects rather than rhetoric alone, he underscored its practical application.

'In the times to come, as Suriname advances in its quest for progress and prosperity, India will always be a reliable partner,' he added.

The event was attended by Suriname's Foreign Minister Melvin Bouva and Agriculture Minister Nike Noersalim alongside EAM Jaishankar. (ANI)