EAM Jaishankar arrives in Paramaribo for maiden visit to Suriname

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrived in the Surinamese capital on Wednesday, as part of his first-ever official visit to the South American nation. This is the second leg of a high-profile three-nation tour of the Caribbean and South America aimed at deepening India’s strategic and cultural footprint in the region.

Upon his arrival at the Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport, Jaishankar was warmly received by his Surinamese counterpart, Foreign Minister Melvin Bouva. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar expressed his gratitude for the reception and underscored the significance of the maiden diplomatic mission.

“Arrived in Paramaribo #Suriname for my first visit. Really touched to be personally received by FM Melvin Bouva,” the Minister posted. “Looking forward to our talks tomorrow.”

Arrived in Paramaribo #Suriname for my first visit. Really touched to be personally received by FM Melvin Bouva. @MOFASur

Looking forward to our talks tomorrow.

🇮🇳 🇸🇷 pic.twitter.com/Vs4CrJaKD7

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 6, 2026

The agenda: Deepening ‘Girmitiya’ ties

The visit highlights the deep-rooted historical connections between the two nations, specifically the Girmitiya heritage, also known as the descendants of Indian indentured laborers who arrived in Suriname over 150 years ago. Today, the Indian diaspora makes up nearly 27 per cent of Suriname’s population.

Key focus areas for the high-level talks scheduled for Thursday include:

• Discussions on expanding trade beyond the current portfolio, with a focus on agriculture and renewable energy.

• Following a successful leg in Jamaica, Jaishankar is expected to discuss digital public infrastructure (DPI) and medical cooperation.

• Reviewing Indian-funded community projects and the progress of technical cooperation under the ITEC programme.

Jaishankar’s arrival follows a historic three-day visit to Jamaica, where he unveiled an India-gifted scoreboard at Sabina Park and signed several MoUs on digital transformation and healthcare. After concluding his engagements in Paramaribo, the Minister is scheduled to travel to Trinidad and Tobago to complete the final leg of his 9-day tour.