The site Koninkrijksrelaties reports that the ‘BES Summit’ taking place today on Bonaire will focus on key issues such as the BES 2025 Tax Plan, healthcare, and the representation of the BES islands in The Hague. A renewed effort will also be made to establish a formal agreement to strengthen cooperation between the islands.

At the previous summit in March on St. Maarten, the delegations from Sa a and Saba were caught off guard when Bonaire presented a fully developed proposal for the creation of an inter-island agency. This move sparked concerns that Kralendijk might be positioning itself to assume a dominant role, similar to Willemstad.

Due to these concerns, St. Eustatius and Saba have resisted sharing a joint representation in The Hague, also known as a “BES house,” with Bonaire. As agreed at the last summit, each island will maintain its own representative. However, today’s discussions will explore potential areas for collaboration. Bonaire has already allocated $1 million annually toward these efforts.

The BES Summit will be held at Delfin Beach Resort, starting at 2:00 PM and concluding at 6:00 PM.

From the agenda, it seems that the organizers are not certain that the final party will happen ……..