Jetten looking forward to cooperation with islands

By Otti Thomas

The new Dutch government is at­tentive to the entire King­dom, including the Carib­bean countries and munici­palities. This was evident from Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s remarks after the first Kingdom Council of Ministers RMR meeting and an online explanation provided by State Secretary Eric van der Burg of King­dom Relations. Security, in particular, is a key issue.

Jetten began his weekly press conference by refer­ring to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. “It was good to speak with the ministers plenipotentiary of Aruba, Curacao and St. Maarten about matters that affect our entire Kingdom. And that is important, be­cause the strong bond be­tween the countries of the Kingdom makes the Neth­erlands much more than just a delta on the North Sea,” said the D66 leader.

“The entire Caribbean part of our Kingdom, in­cluding Bonaire, St. Eusta­tius and Saba, adds a rich culture, its own history, and a rich diversity to the Netherlands. This cabinet therefore looks forward to good cooperation based on equality within the King­dom, with many opportu­nities on both sides of the ocean to strengthen society and the economy there as well,” he said.

According to Van der Burg, Jetten’s words are a sign that the Dutch government values its relationship with the Caribbean coun­tries and islands. He was responding to a question about whether the Carib­bean part of the Kingdom can count on the support of the Netherlands, the largest country in the King­dom. This was in response to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, but also in the Caribbean region.

According to the state sec­retary, this is certainly the case. Defence is a Kingdom task, so the Netherlands has a significant responsi­bility for security. “Things have, of course, been quite tense recently surrounding Venezuela. You have seen that we, as the Netherlands, emphatically state that we are there for the security of the Kingdom,” he said.

The Prime Ministers of Curacao, Aruba and St. Maarten had also asked for attention to safety during their online meeting with the state secretary.

The Daily Herald.