Suriname’s ambassador to Ghana has signaled strong support for her country’s participation in the Regal Influence Summit 2026 following a diplomatic meeting on Tuesday with the summit’s organizers.
H.E. Fidelia Graand-Galon, Suriname’s ambassador to Ghana, met with a team led by Rev. Kennedy Okosun, Executive Chairman of Krif Foundation to discuss Suriname’s potential role in the high-profile business and leadership conference scheduled for Jan. 23–25, 2026.
The summit is expected to convene government officials, entrepreneurs and investors from across the region and beyond.
During the meeting, Rev.Okosun formally invited Surinamese representatives — including private-sector leaders and government officials — to join the event. He emphasized the summit’s goal of strengthening economic and diplomatic ties across emerging markets and expanding platforms for investment collaboration.
Ambassador Graand-Galon welcomed the invitation, describing the summit as an opportunity to showcase Suriname’s underexplored economic prospects. She highlighted agriculture, tourism and entrepreneurship as priority sectors ripe for international partnerships. Among them, she pointed to the increasing viability of a commercial cocoa industry, noting that Suriname’s climate and arable land position it to collaborate in cocoa production and producers in Ghana.
“Suriname is a country of significant potential, and we are ready to explore new partnerships that can support sustainable growth,” she said, according to officials present at the meeting.
Amb.Graand-Galon also pledged concrete action to facilitate Surinamese participation. She said she would forward the request to relevant authorities in Paramaribo and begin engaging business leaders back home to encourage attendance. Her office, she added, would help connect the summit’s organizers with key stakeholders in Suriname’s private sector.
The ambassador assured Rev. Okosun that she “will do her best to have Surinamese business people attend the Regal Influence Summit ,” signaling what organizers view as a positive step toward deeper bilateral economic cooperation.
For his part, Rev.Okosun expressed optimism that Suriname’s involvement would strengthen the summit’s international reach. He said the inclusion of Surinamese entrepreneurs would bring fresh perspectives to discussions on trade, innovation and cross-border investment.
The Regal Influence Summit, now gearing up for its 2026 edition, is positioned as a platform for strategic dialogue among leaders in business, governance and civil society. Organizers say the event will focus on leadership development, economic empowerment and forging new commercial alliances across Africa and the Caribbean.
Both parties described the meeting as productive and said they expect follow-up engagements in the coming months as preparations intensify.
By Kingsley Asiedu
