Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of St. Maarten hosts informative session for Policy Staff BZK
THE HAGUE — The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary was the location for the informative session between the three Cabinets of the Ministers Plenipotentiary and the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations. The purpose of this meeting was to inform new staff of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) on the role of the Cabinets with their core tasks and responsibilities apart from the articles and bylaws by which they operate based on the Kingdom charter.
The Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Curaҫao spoke on the historical ties between the Netherlands and the island of Curacao, dating back to 400 years of shared experiences. The Director of the Cabinet of Curacao, Ms. Ann Philips, in her passionate statement pointed out that the ties, even though outdated, were destined to be; and that eventhough Curacao was facing many challenges, the areas of cooperation between the two countries are still as relevant now as they were then. Curacao looks forward to continued collaborations with the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations, and in particular between the three Cabinets.
Sidney Kocks, the senior press-advisor of the Cabinet of the Minister Plenipotentiary of Aruba, in his address focused not only on the historical collaboration of Aruba within the Kingdom as a separate state within the Kingdom in the past, but also as a full-fledged partner now. Furthermore, the economic development of Aruba was highlighted, through the expanding tourism industry and their aspiration towards further development of their agriculture industry.
Finally, Minister Plenipotentiary, Drs. Jorien Wuite, introduced her cabinet to those present and made reference to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan “The roadmap to rebuilding Sint Maarten” which outlines the objectives and priorities of the current government of Sint Maarten in order to bounce back after the passing of hurricane Irma last year. Staff members of her cabinet further explained the functioning of the Overseas Countries and Territories Association and the role the Cabinet plays in representing Sint Maarten within the European Union. Emphasis was also placed on enhancing cooperation through culture and sports. The Minister Plenipotentiary highlighted the importance of a positive relationship between Kingdom partners, that these type of sessions should encouraged and that the door of her Cabinet will always be open for these sessions. she invited the policy staff of BZK and the other Cabinets to attend the sports day from the USC foundation on September 29th in The Hague to embrace the idea that sport connects and builds strong connections. Who knows, she said in closing “ we may invite you back to learn the Punum.
