Eric van der Burg, State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, will be visiting the six Caribbean islands of the Kingdom from 7 to 17 April. He is visiting St. Eustatius, Saba, St. Maarten, Aruba, Curaçao, and Bonaire on his trip. Topics that will be discussed during the introductory visit of the State Secretary include effective governance, security, economic resilience, cooperation within the Kingdom, and food security.
During his visit, the State Secretary is going to get better acquainted with local officials and elected representatives, among others. In addition, he will be visiting various projects, including the construction of the new Black Rock harbour on Saba, the preparations for the 250th anniversary celebrations of the First Salute on St. Eustatius, and projects relating to the post-Hurricane Irma reconstruction on St. Maarten. He is also meeting with representatives of social organisations in Curaçao and the Slavery Past Commemoration Committee. In Aruba, he will, among other things, begiven a tour at Sunny Greenz, a young agricultural entrepreneur. On Bonaire, he will visit the Selibon Lagún landfill site and he is going to talk to local residents.
During his visit to Aruba, State Secretary Van der Burg will be participating in the LGO-EU Forum. This is an international platform for dialogue between the European Union and the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT). This event brings together policymakers, diplomats and academics from the Caribbean, the Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic region. The conference focuses on strategic cooperation in the area of sustainable economic growth, the rule of law, climate adaptation and digital transformation.
