DUBAI – Suriname celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 on Saturday with an impressive line-up of cultural and entertainment activities including live performances at Al Wasl Plaza and other venues across the site.
The President of the Republic of Suriname, His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi accompanied by a ministerial delegation, was welcomed by Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai.
His Excellency Chandrikapersad Santokhi said: “I take this opportunity to congratulate my Emirati brothers and sisters with their Golden Jubilee, celebrating the 50th UAE National day on 2December. May the Almighty Allah (Peace be upon Him) bless you with continuous prosperity and successful endeavours. Furthermore, your achievements have shown the world how to be a forceful catalyst for human development and sustainable growth. This can be seen as a world inspiration, as it has contributed to the wellbeing of your people.”
“World leaders have been given a mandate to ensure and to protect the right to development, and in this context, it is the ideal condition for creating a sustainable environment. Hence, I believe that the Expo 2020 in Dubai, in which great innovations are exposed, facilitates an opportune platform for business organisations and their stakeholders.”
Najeeb Mohammed Al Ali, Executive Director Expo 2020 Dubai: “Suriname’s Pavilion invites visitors to immerse themselves in the country’s considerable natural beauty, shedding light on how Suriname is the Greenest country on earth, by showcasing the country’s sustainable practices.”
“We hope that Suriname’s presence in Expo 2020 Dubai will further enhance the many partnerships between our nations across various fields of mutual interest such as agribusiness, investments, tourism, renewable energy, and more.”
Speaking during a press conference later, His Excellency Albert Ramdin, Suriname Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business and International Cooperation, said Expo’s subtheme of Sustainability is very relevant: “There’s a lot about looking into the future and that is equally important. So, what Dubai brings us, is not only going to let people know Suriname better, but enable us to learn about experiences from others and benefit from that. There is so much development in this region [the UAE] that we need to look at the ways in which these developments were generated and benefit by learning from it.”
The Suriname Pavilion is located in the Sustainability District and aims to teach visitors about the country’s ethos of diversity – known as ‘Moksie Patu’ — translating to ‘everything in one’. The pavilion provides a journey from city to vegetation to mountains, letting the visitors explore the unique sounds, music and poetry of Suriname, while another area of the pavilion provides a night walk through the jungle amid the sounds of indigenous animals.
National and Honour Days at Expo 2020 Dubai are moments to celebrate each of our 200-plus International Participants, shining a light on their culture and achievements and showcasing their pavilions and programming.
Running until 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 has invited visitors from across the planet to join the making of a new world in a six-month celebration of human creativity, innovation, progress and culture.