SURINAME PLANNING TO HOST REGIONAL NARCOTICS

UNCLAS PARAMARIBO 000170 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR WHA/CAR - LLUFTIG DEPT FOR INL/LP - NBOZZOLO, KBROWN CARACAS FOR LEGATT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR KCRM PGOV PREL NS SUBJECT: SURINAME PLANNING TO HOST REGIONAL NARCOTICS CONFERENCE ¶1. (U) The Government of Suriname (GOS) is planning to host a regional anti-narcotics conference in September. Minister of Justice and Police and Chandrikerpad Santokhi is the driving force behind the initiative, which is intended to bring together the governments of source, transit and destination countries and Suriname's international law enforcement partners. Minister Santokhi has emphasized the need for all parts of the narcotics trafficking chain to cooperate if anti-drug efforts are to be effective. The conference's goals will be to increase collaboration and cooperation among the invited governments in combating drugs trafficking in the region, and help law enforcement officials build stronger working level relationships with their foreign counterparts to improve the efficiency of information exchange. ¶2. (U) An exact date has not yet been set, but the conference will likely occur the first week of September. While the GOS has not yet finalized its list, likely invitees include Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, the Netherlands (including Netherlands Antilles),France, Brazil, and the United States. Official invitations will likely be issued in the coming weeks. ¶3. (U) Comment: This welcome effort reflects the forward looking eagerness of the Surinamese law enforcement community to cooperate with the United States and relevant partners against narcotics trafficking. BARNES