One of the highest-profile diplomatic engagements between two Caribbean nations is set to kick off this weekend, as the President of Suriname, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, travels to the Dominican Republic for an official working visit that will run through June 2.
Geerlings-Simons and her official delegation are scheduled to touch down at Punta Cana International Airport on Saturday morning, kicking off a packed three-day schedule of formal diplomatic activities set to launch on Monday. The official welcome will be held at the Dominican Republic’s National Palace, where the visiting head of state will receive full military honors before entering a closed-door private meeting with her Dominican counterpart, President Luis Abinader.
Following the one-on-one discussion, delegations from both countries will hold expanded bilateral talks focused on deepening cross-national cooperation. The morning’s official events will conclude with a formal signing ceremony for new bilateral agreements and a shared joint statement outlining shared priorities for the two nations moving forward.
Later on Monday, Geerlings-Simons will join Dominican Republic Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez for a commemorative visit to the Altar of the Fatherland, where the pair will lay a wreath to honor the Dominican Republic’s national heritage. On Tuesday, the final day of the visit, the Surinamese president will meet with the Dominican Republic’s top congressional leaders — Senate President Ricardo de los Santos and Chamber of Deputies President Alfredo Pacheco — at the National Congress. She is scheduled to depart the country from Las Américas International Airport later that same afternoon, bringing the official visit to a close.