Governor Eugene B. Holiday paid a working visit to Washington D.C. from February 4th till February 8th. The Governor was invited to and attended the 62nd National Prayer Breakfast at the Washington Hilton on February 6th. The National Prayer Breakfast has a long tradition since 1953 and is attended every year by the President of the United States. The National Prayer Breakfast is hosted by members of the United States Congress and organized on their behalf by the Fellowship Foundation, a Christian organization more widely known as "The Family". It is designed to be a forum for US and International government, political, social, and business leaders to assemble and build relationships.
Governor Holiday kicked off his visit with a courtesy visit to the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Washington, Mr. Bekink. In addition to attending the National Prayer Breakfast, the Governor held meetings with officials of the US State Department, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the International Monetary Fund to discuss and be informed about issues that are important for the governance of Sint Maarten. Ambassador Bekink hosted an official lunch meeting in honor of Governor Holiday at the "Ambassador’s Residence" with the Ambassadors from the Bahamas, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago to the OAS and the Ministers Plenipotentiary in Washington of Aruba and Curacao. The discussions of the Governor during his visit centered on topics such as US – Sint Maarten relations, opportunities for sustainable development, regional security, capacity building and access to available programs. Governor Holiday underscoring the importance of education in development and governance concluded his visit with a meeting at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University.