PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- On Tuesday, June 4th, 2024, the Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary, the Honourable Gracita R. Arrindell and her delegation, together with representatives from the other Dutch islands as well as the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended a meeting in The Hague hosted by Felix Fernandez-Shaw (Deputy Director General for International Partnerships (INTPA) of the European Commission.
The focus of the meeting was to inform the Dutch Caribbean representatives of the European Union’s (EU's) Global Gateway Investment Agenda for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region.
The EU’s Global Gateway is a 300-billion-euro investment facility of which 45 billion euros has been allocated to EU-LAC cooperation to support infrastructural projects in the region, among others, in the areas of green transition, inclusive digital transformation, human development and resilience in the health sector and vaccine development. Various Caribbean countries have already tapped into this facility.
Fernandez-Shaw made use of the opportunity to discuss and seek support for two possible collaborations between the EU and the Dutch Kingdom.
One focuses on financing infrastructure to enhance the interconnectivity between the LAC region and the EU, while the other addresses the creation of a plan of action for the sargassum challenge faced in the region.
The representatives present shared their initial views on the proposals brought forward by Fernandez-Shaw. Minister Plenipotentiary Arrindell thanked Fernandez-Shaw and his colleagues for taking the time out to host the meeting and inform those present of the opportunities that the Global Gateway facility offers.
Minister Plenipotentiary Arrindell agreed that tackling the issues being addressed in the two proposed collaborations between the EU and the LAC region are indeed relevant for Sint Maarten.
Minister Arrindell shared that together with her team she will be looking into gathering support for these, as well as various other projects that Sint Maarten consider as high priority.
The Minister Plenipotentiary considers the Global Gateway facility as an instrument in advancing the national development of Sint Maarten. The Minister will continue to explore all avenues for the benefit of Sint Maarten.
