Mauritius to establish formal diplomatic relations with Suriname

Mauritius will formally establish diplomatic relations with the South American country of Suriname.

The two countries share several historical and cultural commonalities, given their common heritage and affinities.

According to Cabinet papers, the establishment of official diplomatic relations would “pave the way to enhanced interaction between the two countries in the international fora and initiate cooperation bilaterally in fields of common and mutual interest.”

Surinam, officially known as the Republic of Suriname is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, and Brazil to the south. At just under 165,000 square kilometers (64,000 square miles), it is the smallest sovereign state in South America.

Suriname has a population of approximately 575,990, most of whom live on the country’s north coast, in and around the capital and largest city, Paramaribo.

Suriname has roughly 14 local languages, but Dutch is the sole official language and is the language used in education, government, business, and the media

The country comprises Christians (51.6), folk (5.3%), Hindus (19.8%), Muslims (15.2%), other (1.8%), unaffiliated (5.4%).