Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar meets Minister of Suriname Mr Albert R. Ramdin at New Delhi today

At the outset, the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare extended a warm welcome to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation and the accompanying delegation.

Union Minister Tomar shared his happiness that the meeting of the Joint Working Group on Agriculture and allied sectors was held on 15thNovember 2023. He also said that it is encouraging to see that we are moving ahead with the implementation of the work plan for the period of 2023-2027.

 Tomar said that efforts like the Deccan High-Level Principles for Food Security and Nutrition, and the Millets and other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative (MAHARISHI) launched during India’s G20 Presidency, will play a significant role in addressing challenges related to food insecurity, hunger, and malnutrition.

The minister invited Suriname to be a part of the MAHARISHI whose secretariat is based in the Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad. India and Suriname can work together to bring millet (Shree anna) to the plates around the world.

i Narendra Singh Tomar said that the India-Suriname bilateral relations are based on shared aspirations for development and we have MOU and frequent high-level interactions. He appreciated Suriname’s efforts in the areas of millet cultivation and Ayurveda. He concluded that India is doing well in the area of agricultural technology such as drones and agri-stack and we will be happy to share our expertise with Suriname. He also thanked the visiting Minister for extending invitation to visit Suriname.

Mr Albert R. Ramdin shared that this meeting paves the way to further strengthen bilateral ties between both the countries. He stressed that the twin issues of food and energy security will emerge as major concern in the near future and both countries have ample scope to collaborate in these areas. He also stated that Suriname has launched a project for cultivation of millets and expressed interest to be part of MAHARISHI initiative.

Mr Albert R. Ramdin also highlighted that India and Suriname can focus on the areas of training and study visits, technical assistance, knowledge sharing in areas related to climate change, germplasm exchange and food processing. Suriname is also setting up an Ayurveda health centre and look forward to India’s cooperation in growing medicinal plants.