Mercelina meets Dutch foreign affairs minister in The Hague

Prime Minister Dr. Luc F. E. Mercelina met Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Tom Berendsen in The Hague on Friday 16 October, according to the Government of Sint Maarten. The government said the meeting addressed geopolitical developments in the Western Hemisphere and their implications for Sint Maarten and the Kingdom.

Mercelina called for closer work between Sint Maarten's Department of Foreign Relations, known as DBB, and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the government said. It said he sought greater support, coordination and sharing of expertise to build DBB's capacity and help Sint Maarten represent its interests in the Kingdom's international engagement.

The government said Minister Plenipotentiary Gracita Arrindell, Secretary-General Dr. Abel Knottnerus and Chief of Staff Stuart Johnson were part of Mercelina's delegation.

Mercelina also met Kim Putters, president of the Netherlands' Social and Economic Council, the government said. It said he had courtesy encounters with Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Asylum and Migration Bart van den Brink and Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel.

The meetings opened Mercelina's working visit to the Netherlands, which the government said includes further engagements with ministries and High Councils of State.