PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC) –  Suriname President Chandrikapersad “Chan” Santokhi has paid a one-day working visit to Guyana, holding bilateral discussions with his counterpart, Irfaan Ali, according to an official statement issued here.

The statement issued by the state-owned Communication Service Suriname (CDS), said that Santokhi’s “short working visit was related to the ceremonial opening of the sales office of Guysure Aggregate & Sands Incorporated, a subsidiary of Grassalco”.

The statement said that the state mining company is the first Surinamese state company to open a branch overseas and Santokhi called the cooperation between Grassalco and Guyana an example of regional cooperation within the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

CDS said that the establishment of Guysure Aggregate & Sands will contribute to Guyana’s infrastructure and create local jobs.

The investment now amounts to more than three million US dollars and can increase to US$10 million.

The chief executive officer of Grassalco, Wesley Rozenhout,  said that the opening of the office in Guyana is not only an important milestone for Grassalco, but also an example of how Surinamese companies can successfully expand.

According to the statement, Guysure Aggregate & Sands Incorporated was established to export, unload and sell high-quality Surinamese aggregates to the Guyanese market.

“This strategic move by Grassalco not only strengthens Suriname’s economic presence in the region, but is also a direct response to the increasing demand for quality building materials in Guyana, partly as a result of the rapidly growing oil industry and large-scale infrastructure projects,” it  added.

CDS said that President Santokhi’s one day visit confirms his government’s commitment to supporting state-owned companies that contribute to economic growth, export strengthening and strategic international partnerships.

Santokhi expressed the hope that this project will inspire other companies and during his bilateral talks with President Ali, both leaders emphasized the importance of infrastructure development, trade and energy.

The statement said that an important agenda item was the construction of the Corantijn Bridge, which they consider essential for the further economic integration of the two neighbouring countries.

“The bridge must be built and will be built,” they both indicated.

Both Ali and Santokhi face the electorate later this year, with voters in Suriname casting ballots for a new government on Sunday.