DOMINICAN REPUBLIC--A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will materialized over several areas of cooperation, including commerce, education, health, regional security, trans-shipment and tourism, was signed by Prime Minister William Marlin on behalf of the country with Dominican Republic Foreign Affairs Minister Miguel Vargas on Monday. The signing comes after three years of discussions.\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n
Signing the MOU on behalf of Curaçao was Minister for Economic Development Eugene Rhuggenaat and Dutch Ambassador to the Dominican Republic Marijke van Druinen-Littel for the Netherlands and Aruba.\r\n
The MOU also has provision for technical and political consultations to ensure momentum is kept in developing protocols to give content to the signed document.\r\n
At the signing, Marlin saluted Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina whose initiative it was in 2014 to initiate the MOU.\r\n
Marlin said, according to a press statement, the agreement represents more than what is written, transcends political desire and ultimately moves us towards our common goal, the unification of the Greater Caribbean.\r\n
He also expressed hope that this agreement would stand as a testament to the strong commitment of the Dutch Kingdom and the Dominican Republic to advance and underscore the enduring friendship for the benefit of both the two states and their people.\r\n
Giving some content to the MOU, Marlin had discussions with representatives from companies and institutions in the Dominican Republic including the Dutch Chamber and of Commerce, Tropical Shipping, and Pawa Airline. He covered the need for more direct sourcing of products, particularly food, from the Dominican Republic as a way of reducing cost for people on St. Maarten.\r\n
St. Maarten’s potential as a trans-shipment and transportation hub for the sub-region was outlined with the companies and organisations.\r\n
Marlin was accompanied to the Dominican Republic by Patrice Gumbs Jr, Senior Policy Advisor at the Department of Foreign Relations.\r\n
Gumbs said in the press statement that the relationship with the Dominican Republic and the Dutch Kingdom is multifaceted. He added that alongside the strong and well-documented economic links with both the European and Caribbean parts of the Kingdom, including the 1856 Treaty on Friendship, Trade and Navigation, there is an even stronger cultural link, rooted in two centuries of continuous and documented migration between the two states and particularly the islands.\r\n
“The MOU therefore has brought us here today together united by a strong filial and cultural bond and a willingness to find mutually beneficial ways to continue to build strong, resilient partnerships,” Gumbs said.\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
Source: Daily Herald \n\t\t\t\tDutch Kingdom signs MOU with Dominican Republic"
