Suriname resistant to Manning ‘political union’

~~Adz:Left~~ PARAMARIBO, Suriname-FOLLOWING what the media has described as a “whirlwind visit” by Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning, Suriname Foreign Minister Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk has stated that she is “not ready to support the initiative for a political integration with other nations” at this time.

“Currently we are involved in the economic integration within Caricom, and with a political integration you will lose some of your sovereignty and I’m of the opinion that we should study this very carefully.

“A strong and wide popular support should be necessary, since this issue doesn’t concern only the government,” the Foreign Minister stated at a press conference ahead of the country’s weekly Cabinet meeting.

PM Manning’s meeting with Suriname President Ronald Venetiaan was yet another stop in his tour of the Caribbean to promote an agreement signed by St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines which would put in place an economic and political union by 2013.

While Suriname did not agree to sign the declaration during the visit, Venetiaan and his advisors are expected to further study the deal and consider its benefits.

“Prime Minister Manning has asked President Venetiaan to study the agreement but no deadline was set as to when the Suriname government should announce its position,” said Kraag-Keteldijk.

Suriname’s resistance to the proposed union comes on the heels of Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow stating that they would not be signing any “political union” that would limit their sovereignty or weaken their economies.