Suriname backs Caribbean anti‑drug pact at Martinique security summit

Suriname’s foreign minister Melvin Bouva participated in the Regional Security Conference held in Martinique on 2‑3 July 2026. In his remarks he stressed the need for strong partnerships among CARICOM and Latin American nations to combat cross‑border drug trafficking, human‑trafficking and the growing use of artificial intelligence by criminal networks. He warned that illegal trade threatens the region’s expanding oil and gas sectors and called for investments in youth programmes and better training for security forces.

Bouva endorsed the conference’s final document, the “Call of Martinique”, which outlines a coordinated strategy to counter narcotics and illicit trafficking across the Caribbean and the Americas. He also held bilateral talks with the prime minister of Dominica, the foreign minister of Trinidad and Tobago and the public prosecutor of French Guiana, reinforcing bilateral cooperation on security matters.