WILLEMSTAD:--- U.S. Ambassador Timothy R. Broas concluded his visit to the Dutch Caribbean on Tuesday. Accompanied by U.S. Consul General James Moore, he met with meet with distinguished members of government and parliament, and leaders in education, the arts, and the media in Curaçao, Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius, and Aruba.
Timothy Broas was nominated by President Barack Obama to be the U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands on January 6, 2014. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 13, 2014. Ambassador Broas presented his credentials to His Majesty King Willem-Alexander on March 19, 2014, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Last week, Ambassador Broas met with government and Parliament leaders in Curaçao.
This week, in Sint Maarten, Ambassador Broas met with Governor Eugene Holiday and Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs. In St. Eustatius, he met with Governor Gerald Berkel and toured the historic Fort Oranje – the site of the "First Salute," and the first international recognition of American independence. And in Aruba, Ambassador Broas met Governor Fredis Refunjol, Prime Minister Mike Eman, President of Parliament Marisol Lopez-Tromp, and several ministers of the Prime Minister's cabinet.
The visit of Ambassador Broas coincides with the 65th anniversary of the Roosevelt House and the opening of an exhibit to commemorate this unique gift from the people of Curaçao to the people of the United States. During the commemoration, Ambassador Broas said:
"During the past year, I have been struck by the extraordinary depth of relations today between the United States and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In numerous ways, and not merely economic, we are forever invested in each other's future. Our friendship and cooperation is rooted in a proud and intertwined history. Thank you for warmly welcoming me to the Dutch Caribbean where I had the pleasure of learning firsthand about this important – and beautiful – part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. "
