Speech by the President of the Republic of Suriname,
H.E.Runaldo Ronald Venetiaan, At the Cocktail Reception on Friday 24 September 2004 OAS Headquarters –Washington DC

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the past few days I have had many occasions to address you and let you hear the voice of Suriname.

This evening I would like to invite you to enjoy the hospitality that comes from the People of Suriname.

A People who live in a country with a beautiful and friendly environment, where nature is still referred to as” Mother Nature”, where vast forests cover the land, crisscrossed by sweet water creeks and mighty rivers with wild and beautiful rapids, where hot savannas and swamps teem with wild life.

A People with a rich culture, where several ethnic groups and religions find peaceful trails to carve their path in history, who with mutual respect and tolerance speak the languages and dance the dances of all continents of our globe, a People for whom Nature is providing for their needs through the production of rice, banana, flowers and vegetables, through the mining of gold and bauxite and natural stones, through a plant that produces alumina, through the production of crude and refined oil.

A People who respects her Mother Nature and has learned to find sustainable ways to exploit the forest for timber, for ecotourism and for knowledge of its biodiversity.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please join me in a toast on the Prosperity of my People, the People of Suriname
on the Prosperity of all the Peoples of the Americas,
on the success of the Organization of American States, now under the leadership of Miguel Angel Rodriguez,
on peace and prosperity for all Mankind

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Copyright © 2005 Embassy of the Republic of Suriname & GlobeScope, Inc.