On the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, senior diplomatic representatives from Suriname and Mexico held a working meeting on September 24 to discuss avenues for deepening bilateral collaboration across multiple key sectors.
The meeting, which served as an introductory engagement for the two officials, brought together Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Cooperation Melvin Bouva, and Mexico’s Deputy Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean Raquel Serur Smeke. The core focus of the discussion was advancing the strengthening of long-term ties between the two nations.
During the talks, Minister Bouva outlined ongoing preparations to expand Suriname’s rapidly developing oil and gas sector. He noted that the South American nation currently requires targeted support in three critical areas to advance this work: skills training, technical expertise, and infrastructure development. Bouva emphasized that knowledge sharing between the two countries, paired with the potential deployment of Mexican industry experts, would make a meaningful contribution to Suriname’s energy sector development.
As part of the push for deeper energy cooperation, Mexico has received a formal invitation to participate in the 2027 Suriname Energy, Oil & Gas Summit. Beyond energy, the two officials also explored opportunities to improve air and maritime transport connectivity between Suriname and Mexico, which would support expanded trade and people-to-people ties. Another topic on the meeting agenda was fostering partnership and knowledge exchange between the two countries’ diplomatic training academies.
Deputy Minister Serur also shared that Mexico is keen to organize an official meeting with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to strengthen its broader relations with the Caribbean region. Minister Bouva expressed Suriname’s appreciation for Mexico’s existing collaborative work across the Caribbean, highlighting its ongoing support in disaster preparedness, climate action, and skills training programs. Following the productive New York meeting, both sides have committed to continuing discussions to turn the explored cooperation opportunities into concrete joint projects.