Photo Caption: clockwise from center: Prime Minister Wescot-Williams, Ambassador Fred Constant, Prefet Philippe Chopin and President of the Collectivite Alain Richardson
Prefet and President of the Collectivite
Discuss way forward on matters of French/ Dutch Cooperation
The Prime Minister of St. Maarten the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams attended a high level meeting with the Hon. Fred Constant, French Ambassador for the Cooperation in the Caribbean Islands; the Prefet of St. Martin Mr. Philippe Chopin; and President of the Collectivite of St. Martin Mr. Alain Richardson on Wednesday at the Hotel Mercure in Nettle Bay. The Lunch Meeting, which was held in order to discuss broader cooperation between both sides of the island, including the establishment of a joint committee dealing with Dutch side and French side matters, also featured simultaneous consultations with representatives from the Department of Foreign Relations for St. Maarten DBB, the Ministry of General Affairs and other Governmental Support staff from both St. Martin and St. Maarten.
The Prime Minister has stated earlier that among mutual priorities in cooperation currently being explored between the Governments of St. Maarten and St. Martin are joint road projects, transportation and vehicle registration, recognition of licenses, drinking water production, waste management and garbage handling, sewerage, drainage, agriculture initiatives, exchange of data among hospitals, education cooperation and aspects related to safety, welfare improvements and regulations to discourage fraud. In view of this, a promising start has been made with joint passenger immigration control at Juliana Airport and cross border police cooperation.
In June last year the Prime Minister also received Ambassador Constant at her Cabinet at the Government Administration Building in Philipsburg where items related to St. Maarten/ St. Martin relations were discussed in addition to St. Maarten’s role as a Caribbean OCT.