THE HAGUE — The Surinamese embassy in the Netherlands must become “open and accessible”, with special attention paid to entrepreneurs, young professionals, knowledge sharing and economic development. Ambassador Ricardo Panka said this on September 18 in Amsterdam-Zuidoost during the first meeting of Access, a new entrepreneurial program of The Extra Mile led by managing director Ryan Weibolt and co-initiator Mattias Scheek.
The meeting was focused on strengthening the relationship between the embassy and young entrepreneurs in Amsterdam-Southeast, providing information, involving and encouraging entrepreneurship. According to the embassy’s Media & Communications Service, Panka emphasized the importance of the Surinamese community in the Netherlands in his speech. “More than 360,000 Surinamese live in the Netherlands. That is almost half of our population. That is why the Surinamese are one of our most important focus points.”
During Access, Scheek shared his experiences with the founding and sale of his technology company Mayht Technologies, which was acquired by Sonos in 2022 for approximately one hundred million US dollars. Panka has invited the IT entrepreneur to visit the embassy to discuss the possibilities for further cooperation and connection with Suriname.
