Prime Minister Congratulates Dominican Republic Community on 169th Independence Celebration

Urges All to Express Love For St. Maarten

The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams joined in with dignitaries from the Dominican Republic and members of the Dominican Community on St. Maarten in Celebrating the 169th Anniversary of the Dominican Republic at the PMIA Hall on Wednesday. The Prime Minister expressed her pleasure at being able to offer words of congratulations to the Dominican community on their Independence Celebration: "On behalf of the Government of St. Maarten I extend my warmest congratulations to the people and Government of the Dominican Republic on their Independence Celebration.

 

It is since 1884 that you have had the privilege of celebrating your independence and I join you tonight in that celebration. We know the struggle of the Dominican People during the nineteenth century to achieve their independence and now generations of Dominicans can look back with admiration on the first leaders who made a country of a once colonized nation."

The Prime Minister urged citizens of Dominican Heritage living on St. Maarten to apply that same love they have for their heritage to their adopted home of St. Maarten: "For those of you who have been born here and who belong here you have all contributed to the development of St. Maarten, but one thing is for sure; you have embraced the opportunities that St. Maarten has had to offer. Independence is not only an a political state, but it is a mental and emotional one, and it is that type of commitment that you should apply to your adopted home of St. Maarten. We should all be proud of who we are we but we all should be proud of the land that you and I call home, the land which we want to prosper for the future St. Maarteners so that they to can be proud to call St. Maarten home," concluded the Prime Minister.