The Rio Branco Institute in Brasília was praised during celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of its international diplomat training programme for the contribution it makes to the training and capacity-building of diplomats from various countries. Suriname, too, has made use of the Brazilian institute’s training opportunities for decades.
The celebration was combined with the graduation ceremony for the 2025-2026 academic year. At the invitation of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Suriname’s ambassador to Brazil, Ike Antonius, also spoke during the ceremony.
On behalf of the Surinamese government, Antonius congratulated the institute on the milestone. He expressed his appreciation for the long-standing cooperation between Suriname and the Rio Branco Institute and for the contribution the training programme has made to the development of Surinamese diplomats.
Antonius also reflected on Surinamese people who were trained at the institute in the past and later held important positions in diplomacy and government. He mentioned, among others, the late Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Lackin and Ambassador Robby Ramlakhan.
Between 1981 and 2026, sixteen Surinamese have completed the training programme in Brazil, according to the information provided. The Surinamese diplomats trained at the institute also include Ambassador Marlon Hoessein, Suriname’s representative in the United States, and Ambassador Antonius himself.
The international programme of the Rio Branco Institute has trained diplomats from dozens of countries over the past decades. In addition to Suriname, Argentina, Cape Verde, Bolivia, Angola, Mozambique, Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador, among others, made use of the programme.
Up to and including 2026, a total of 313 diplomats from 59 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South America and the Caribbean, among other regions, are said to have been trained through the programme.
During his speech, Antonius advocated for the continuation and further expansion of cooperation between the Rio Branco Institute and the Suriname Diplomaten Instituut (SDI). According to him, this should further invest in the training and professional development of Surinamese diplomats.
