In a significant diplomatic development, Indonesian Ambassador to Suriname Agus Priono and Suriname’s Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries Mike Noersalim have committed to expanding bilateral cooperation in agricultural sectors. The agreement emerged during a courtesy visit where both officials explored new opportunities across agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.
Ambassador Priono emphasized the historical ties between the nations, expressing Indonesia’s commitment to deepening relations through knowledge transfer and technical support. He highlighted Indonesia’s extensive experience in fisheries—a sector employing substantial portions of the population—and referenced previous collaborative initiatives in technical assistance, livestock development, and aquaculture involving shrimp and tilapia farming. These projects faced delays due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and financial constraints.
Looking forward, Indonesia identified multiple growth areas including capacity building, post-harvest processing, and blue economy initiatives focused on sustainable marine resource utilization. Suriname received an official invitation to participate in Indonesia’s Ocean Impact Summit on June 9th.
Minister Noersalim acknowledged how Indonesian ancestors contributed to building Suriname’s agricultural foundation and expressed appreciation for past training programs provided by Indonesia. However, he noted current challenges including workforce shortages and technical staff deficits exacerbated by brain drain. The Surinamese government is consequently exploring simplified procedures for attracting foreign labor.
Both parties emphasized aquaculture’s critical role in ensuring future fish supplies and potential collaboration in rice research—a sector where Indonesia possesses extensive expertise. Ambassador Priono confirmed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is currently under review in Jakarta with efforts underway to accelerate its processing, alongside available scholarships and training programs from Indonesia.
The meeting concluded with mutual commitment to intensifying cooperation for sustainable development of Suriname’s agricultural sector.