Brazil and Suriname to sign defence pact

Brazil and Suriname to sign defence pact

April 22, 2008
Caribbean Net News

PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Brazil’s minister of defence, Nelson Jobim, is due to arrive in Paramaribo this week to sign a defence cooperation pact with his Surinamese counterpart. Jobim will also seek Suriname’s support for the establishment of the South American Defence Council (CDS), Surinamese defense minister Ivan Fernald told local journalists.

Sources indicate that the Brazilian official will also seek support from the Surinamese government for his country’s bid to obtain a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.

According to Fernald, the agreement, which will benefit defence organisations of both countries, has been in preparation for about a year. It will include closer cooperation in the field of joint border patrols, exchange programmes, training opportunities

“When you work closely together you will be in a position to enhance security," said the minister.

He further added that training in the field of air traffic control could benefit not only the Suriname Air Force but the aviation sector as a whole. In December 2007 industrial actions from air traffic controllers partially paralysed flight operations, which could have easily been avoided, critics said, if air force personnel were able to fill the void.

“If our own army personnel could do the job, the country would be less dependent in similar situations,” Fernald noted, referring to the December strike actions of air traffic controllers.

Brazil’s minister of Defense, Nelson Jobim

Jobim is expected in Guyana on Monday, where he will also sign a defence pact with the Guyanese government. Head of Guyana's Presidential Secretariat and Cabinet Secretary Dr Roger Luncheon said that the agreement is part of long-standing relationship between Guyana and Brazil.

Before traveling to Guyana and Suriname, the Brazilian official visited Venezuela on Monday. April 14, where he also discussed the establishment of the South American Defence Council.

In Caracas, Jobim said that establishing liaisons among South American armed forces stems from unity of the peoples "since a problem in any of our countries is of interest for the others." Yet he rejected establishing an operational force like the NATO.

The Council will also draft its own defence policy, develop joint exercises, exchange personnel among the respective armed forces and act as alternative mechanism of regional security to help protect sovereignty of the countries in the area.

“The purpose of these visits is to draft a mid term or possibly long term South American defence identity so that we can have a strong, united continent,” Jobim told members of the Defence and Foreign Affairs committees of the Brazilian Congress, before traveling abroad.

The South American Defence Council is aiming at coordination of joint military exercises among the several member states and could reportedly also include collective participation in United Nations peace operations.

“Later on we could even consider the integration of the defense industries and procurement of the region,” Jobim pointed out to the Congress committees.

Jobim also planned to meet with officials from Colombia, Peru and Ecuador and to meet with the governments of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile and Bolivia later this year. He expects that the council could be established by the end of the year.

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