Foreign relations of Suriname

As part of the foreign relations of Suriname, the country is a participant in numerous international organizations.

Border disputes

The country claims an area in French Guiana between Litani River and Marouini River (both headwaters of the Lawa). Suriname also claims an area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Koetari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne).

International organization participation

Suriname is a member of numerous international organizations. Among them, since gaining independence, Suriname has become a member of the UN, the OAS, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Suriname is a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market and the Association of Caribbean States. It is associated with the European Union through the Lomé Convention. Suriname participates in the Amazonian Pact, a grouping of the countries of the Amazon basin that focuses on protection of the Amazon region's natural resources from environmental degradation.

Reflecting its status as a major bauxite producer, Suriname is a member of the International Bauxite Association. The country also belongs to the Caribbean Development Bank, the Economic Commission for Latin America, the Forum of East Asia–Latin America Cooperation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. Suriname became a member of the Islamic Development Bank in 1998, under the Wijdenbosch government. In 2003, Suriname joined the Nederlandse Taalunie (Dutch language union).

Suriname has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

Regional and international agreements

Bilateral agreements with several countries of the region, covering diverse areas of cooperation, have underscored the government's interest in strengthening regional ties. The return to Suriname from French Guiana of about 8,000 refugees of the 1986–91 civil war between the military and domestic insurgents has improved relations with French authorities. Longstanding border disputes with Guyana and French Guiana remain unresolved. Negotiations with the Government of Guyana brokered by the Jamaican Prime Minister in 2000 did not produce an agreement but the countries agreed to restart talks after Guyanese national elections in 2001. In January 2002 the presidents of Suriname and Guyana met in Suriname and agreed to resume negotiations, establishing the Suriname-Guyana border commission to begin meeting in May 2002. An earlier dispute with Brazil ended amicably after formal demarcation of the border.

In May 1997, then-President Wijdenbosch joined US President Clinton and 14 other Caribbean leaders during the first-ever US-regional summit in Bridgetown, Barbados. The summit strengthened the basis for regional Partnership for Prosperity and Security in the Caribbean - Outlining a framework for cooperation on justice and counter narcotics issues, finance, development, and trade.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Suriname maintains diplomatic relations with:

File:Diplomatic relations of Suriname.svg
#	Country	Date
1	Ghana	Template:Dts
2	Guyana	Template:Dts
3	South Korea	Template:Dts
4	Mexico	Template:Dts
5	Netherlands	Template:Dts
6	Venezuela	Template:Dts
7	India	Template:Dts
8	United States	Template:Dts
9	Indonesia	Template:Dts
10	Israel	Template:Dts
11	Brazil	Template:Dts
12	United Kingdom	Template:Dts
13	China	Template:Dts
14	Libya	Template:Dts
15	Syria	Template:Dts
16	Nicaragua	Template:Dts
17	Turkey	Template:Dts
18	Czech Republic	Template:Dts
19	Serbia	Template:Dts
20	Spain	Template:Dts
21	France	Template:Dts
22	Belgium	Template:Dts
23	Canada	Template:Dts
24	Japan	Template:Dts
25	Russia	Template:Dts
26	Greece	Template:Dts
27	Norway	Template:Dts
28	Barbados	Template:Dts
39	Egypt	Template:Dts
30	Romania	Template:Dts
31	Portugal	Template:Dts
32	Pakistan	Template:Dts
33	Austria	Template:Dts
34	Chile	Template:Dts
35	Hungary	Template:Dts
36	Argentina	Template:Dts
37	Gambia	Template:Dts
38	Trinidad and Tobago	Template:Dts
39	Iraq	Template:Dts
40	Sweden	Template:Dts
41	Bolivia	Template:Dts
42	Colombia	Template:Dts
43	Ecuador	Template:Dts
44	Peru	Template:Dts
45	Tanzania	Template:Dts
46	Costa Rica	Template:Dts
47	Dominica	Template:Dts
48	Dominican Republic	Template:Dts
49	El Salvador	Template:Dts
50	Guatemala	Template:Dts
51	Grenada	Template:Dts
52	Haiti	Template:Dts
53	Honduras	Template:Dts
54	Panama	Template:Dts
55	Uruguay	Template:Dts
56	Italy	Template:Dts
57	Cuba	Template:Dts
58	Switzerland	Template:Dts
59	Bahamas	Template:Dts
60	Nigeria	Template:Dts
61	Cyprus	Template:Dts
62	Saint Lucia	Template:Dts
63	Denmark	Template:Dts
64	Algeria	Template:Dts
65	North Korea	Template:Dts
66	Mozambique	Template:Dts
67	Bangladesh	Template:Dts
68	Togo	Template:Dts
69	Angola	Template:Dts
70	Zimbabwe	Template:Dts
71	Thailand	Template:Dts
72	Antigua and Barbuda	Template:Dts
73	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Template:Dts
74	Germany	Template:Dts
75	Namibia	Template:Dts
76	Paraguay	Template:Dts
77	Malaysia	Template:Dts
78	Poland	Template:Dts
–	Holy See	Template:Dts
79	South Africa	Template:Dts
80	Lebanon	Template:Dts
81	Australia	Template:Dts
82	Singapore	Template:Dts
83	Slovenia	Template:Dts
84	Croatia	Template:Dts
85	Qatar	Template:Dts
86	Iran	Template:Dts
87	Philippines	Template:Dts
88	Vietnam	Template:Dts
89	Senegal	Template:Dts
90	Belize	Template:Dts
91	Brunei	Template:Dts
92	Saudi Arabia	Template:Dts
–	Sovereign Military Order of Malta	Template:Dts
93	Armenia	Template:Dts
94	Turkmenistan	Template:Dts
95	Oman	Template:Dts
96	Sudan	Template:Dts
97	United Arab Emirates	Template:Dts
98	Bahrain	Template:Dts
99	Azerbaijan	Template:Dts
100	Slovakia	Template:Dts
101	Morocco	Template:Dts
102	Bulgaria	Template:Dts
103	Iceland	Template:Dts
104	Estonia	Template:Dts
105	Finland	Template:Dts
106	Guinea	Template:Dts
107	Ukraine	Template:Dts
108	Template:Country data North Macedonia	Template:Dts
109	Botswana	Template:Dts
110	Maldives	Template:Dts
111	Latvia	Template:Dts
112	Belarus	Template:Dts
113	Luxembourg	Template:Dts
114	Montenegro	Template:Dts
115	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Template:Dts
116	Template:Country data Georgia	Template:Dts
117	Zambia	Template:Dts
118	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Template:Dts
119	Cambodia	Template:Dts
120	Fiji	Template:Dts
121	Equatorial Guinea	Template:Dts
122	Solomon Islands	Template:Dts
123	Samoa	Template:Dts
124	Sri Lanka	Template:Dts
125	Lithuania	Template:Dts
126	Moldova	Template:Dts
127	Kazakhstan	Template:Dts
128	Eswatini	Template:Dts
129	Mongolia	Template:Dts
130	New Zealand	Template:Dts
131	Ivory Coast	Template:Dts
132	Kyrgyzstan	Template:Dts
133	Tajikistan	Template:Dts
134	Nepal	Template:Dts
135	Kenya	Template:Dts
136	San Marino	Template:Dts
137	Rwanda	Template:Dts
138	Ireland	Template:Dts
139	Djibouti	Template:Dts
140	Mauritius	Template:Dts
141	Cape Verde	Template:Dts
142	Malta	Template:Dts
143	Kuwait	Template:Dts
144	Marshall Islands	Template:Dts
145	Seychelles	Template:Dts
146	Uzbekistan	Template:Dts
147	Burundi	Template:Dts

Bilateral relations

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Barbados	8 March 1978	See Barbados–Suriname relations Both countries established diplomatic relations on 8 March 1978. In 2009 both nations formed a Joint Commission to improve relations between both countries and expand in various areas of cooperation. Barbados is accredited to Suriname from Bridgetown and has an honorary consulate in Paramaribo. Suriname is accredited to Barbados from its embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and has an honorary consulate in Bridgetown.
Brazil		See Brazil–Suriname relations Brazil has an embassy in Paramaribo. Suriname has an embassy in Brasília, and a consulate in Belém.
Canada	1975	Both countries established diplomatic relations in November 1975. Both country are full members of the Organization of American States.
China		See China–Suriname relations
Cuba		See Cuba–Suriname relations Cuba has an embassy in Paramaribo. Suriname has an embassy in Havana.
France		See France–Suriname relations France has an embassy in Paramaribo. Suriname has an embassy in Paris and a consulate-general in Cayenne.
	25 November 1975	See Germany–Suriname relations
Ghana	24 November 1975	See Ghana–Suriname relations
Guyana		See Guyana–Suriname relations
India		See India–Suriname relations India has an embassy in Paramaribo. Suriname has an embassy in New Delhi.
Indonesia		See Indonesia–Suriname relations Indonesia has an embassy in Paramaribo. Suriname has an embassy in Jakarta.
Mexico	1975	See Mexico–Suriname relations Mexico is accredited to Suriname from its embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago and has an honorary consulate in Paramaribo. Suriname is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C.; United States.
Netherlands	25 November 1975	See Netherlands–Suriname relations Netherlands has an embassy in Paramaribo. Suriname has an embassy in The Hague and consulates-general in Amsterdam and in Willemstad, Curaçao.
Russia		The nations have begun discussing cooperation in the areas of agriculture, fishing, shipbuilding, education, along with trade. In October 2013, the Surinamese foreign minister, Yldiz Pollack-Beighle visited Moscow for talks on concluding military and joint law enforcement training.
Switzerland	1979	See Suriname–Switzerland relations
Trinidad and Tobago		See Suriname–Trinidad and Tobago relations
Turkey	1976	See Suriname–Turkey relations Turkey is accredited to Suriname from its embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Trade volume between the two countries was US$18.2 million in 2019 (Suriname's exports/imports: 0.1/18.1 million USD).
United Kingdom	1976	See Suriname–United Kingdom relations Suriname established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 31 March 1976. Suriname does not maintain an embassy in the UK. The United Kingdom is not accredited to Suriname through an embassy; the UK develops relations through its high commission in Georgetown, Guyana. England governed Suriname from 1650 to 1667, when Suriname was ceded to the Netherlands. The UK occupied Suriname from 1799 until 1816. Both countries share common membership of the Atlantic Co-operation Pact, the Caribbean Development Bank, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and the World Trade Organization, as well as the CARIFORUM–United Kingdom Economic Partnership Agreement.
United States		See Suriname–United States relations Suriname has an embassy in Washington, D.C., and a consulate-general in Miami. United States has an embassy in Paramaribo.
Venezuela		See Suriname–Venezuela relations Suriname has an embassy in Caracas. Venezuela has an embassy in Paramaribo.

See also

• List of diplomatic missions in Suriname
• List of diplomatic missions of Suriname

External links

• Permanent Mission of Suriname to the United Nations