India’s Foreign Affair minister visits Suriname

India is reportedly prepared to add $30 million to the $50 million credit line with Suriname. Suriname has not fully tapped into the available funds. India’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Singh on Friday informed his Surinamese counterpart, Yldiz PollackBeighle, of India’s decision. Suriname reportedly assured India that it would support its attempts to obtain a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Suriname can expect to receive expertise from India for its electoral organization, solar power sector and traditional medicine which is known as ayurveda. India claims that Suriname has fertile land which is suitable for the launch of ayurvedic medicine on the Western Hemisphere. Both nations discussed their cultural ties which will be expanded. The government also received a donation of $150,000 for the reconstruction of villages in the hinterland that were flooded in February. There has reportedly been a huge delay in the execution of projects that will be financed with the credit line from India. Minister Pollack-Beighle reportedly is discontent with the administrative delay in the processing of the project dossiers. An energy project from the Energy Company Suriname (EBS) and a project from Milk Central Paramaribo (MCP) reportedly require financing from the India credit line. Both ministers discussed how much would be needed to process the projects.