Dutch Ask Suriname to Exchange Envoys
The Netherlands has proposed exchanging ambassadors with Suriname as a first step in improving ties with its former colony on the northeast tip of South America, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The Netherlands was forced to withdraw Ambassador Dirk Jan van Houten from Suriname 13 months ago after he was accused by the nation’s military ruler, Desi Bouterse, of helping anti-government rebels.
A Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Suriname, which gained its independence from the Netherlands in 1975, has not yet formally responded to the Dutch suggestion.
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