"St. Maarten's foreign policy cannot be divorced from its national development"
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Democratic Party of St. Maarten over the weekend highlighted its party platform on Foreign Relations, placing both within the context of the development of the St. Maarten Nation and its position within the global and regional community; "Since becoming a country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Democratic Party has been working to carve out St. Maarten's place in the region and in the world. The DP Prime Minister, responsible for the foreign relations of St. Maarten, is charged with the formulation, promotion and execution of the country's foreign policy. In turn, the newly established Department of Foreign Relations advises the Prime Minister and acts as the lead coordinator and manager of the international relations and cooperation of the country.
The Democratic Party attaches great importance to cooperation within the wider Caribbean region; "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams, St. Maarten has intensified its engagements in the region by securing membership in the following regional organizations: Caribbean Financial Action Task Force Agency (CFATF), Caribbean Organization Tax Administrators (COTA), Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Caribbean Telecommunication Union (CTU) and Caribbean Association of National Telecommunication Organizations (CANTO). Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). These associations will strengthen our relations within the region as well as increase our participation in important issues related to our development.
"The relationship with the European Union will remain of strategic interest for the Democratic Party. St. Maarten participates as one of 25 members in the European Union's Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs). As an OCT, St. Maarten is eligible for EU funding via a number of programs. The European Development Fund (EDF), which is aimed to support the economic, social and human development of the OCTs, has been a major benefactor in our recent development.
"In 2011, St. Maarten was granted a sum of 4.75 million Euros from the 10th EDF, which funded the Dutch Quarter Sewage and Drainage Project. "In 2013, 7 million Euros from the 11th EDF were allocated to St. Maarten. Additionally, an operational program for cross border cooperation has been created specifically to fund shared projects between St. Maarten and Saint Martin. This important program provides a mechanism for tangible cross border cooperation by pooling resources to achieve economies of scale on needed joint projects.
"EU programming also extends into regional programs, which is also critical for our economic progress. With the Department of Kingdom Relations and Interior Affairs (BAK) as the leading coordinating agent, St. Maarten has benefited from participating in (EDF) regional projects related to HIV/AIDS, small and medium enterprise development and disaster risk reduction initiative (R3I).
The Democratic Party stated in its platform that it will continue to pursue a focused, effective and results-based foreign policy that is inextricably tied to the development plan of the country. In doing so, the DP will continue to execute the four strategic goals that are embedded in our foreign policy: Support the economic policy of St. Maarten; Present St. Maarten internationally, as a respectable partner; Promote regional cooperation; and Develop closer ties with Saint-Martin: "In pursuit of these goals we will also focus our attention in the coming years on the following ten countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil, Cuba and China. We aim to build sustainable, mutually beneficial global partnerships with all as we seek to secure our spot in the new global economy.
"With Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams at the helm, DP has built a structured and strong foundation for the management of the country's foreign relations. We have accomplished meaningful membership to organizations that yielded funding and technical assistance for the development of the country. We are also in the process of building bilateral relations with key countries that will aid in the economic advancement of St. Maarten.
"We believe that a country's foreign policy cannot be divorced from its national development. Based on this premise, the Democratic Party will continue to reinforce the development of St. Maarten through its regional and global alliances," concluded the DP's Foreign Policy Program.
DP Press Release
