HE Governor Baly visits the Netherlands on Working Visit | SOUALIGA NEWSDAY

April 4, 2025

SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) – His Excellency (HE) Governor Ajamu Baly of Sint Maarten visited the Netherlands from March 21 to March 29. During his visit, he met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Dutch armed forces, the Secretaries of State for Kingdom Relations and Justice and Security, the ministers of Defence, Climate and Green Growth, and Justice and Security, the Dutch Prime Minister, the presidents of the Committees for Kingdom Relations of the First and Second Chamber, the Minister Plenipotentiary for Sint Maarten, the president of the Dutch Supreme Court, the Central Statistics Bureau (CBS) of the Netherlands, the president of the Central Bank of the Netherlands DNB and engineering firm Royal Haskoning.

He was also present for the official farewell ceremony for outgoing Sint Maarten member of the Council of State for the Kingdom Mrs. Van der Sluis-Plantz. On Friday the 28th of March, HE the Governor was present at the Caribbean Career Fair in the RAI in Amsterdam to support the efforts of the Sint Maarten authorities to attract talented professionals to Sint Maarten.

During his visits with Dutch dignitaries, the Governor discussed a multitude of subjects of importance to our Country, varying from security threats originating in geopolitical changes to the housing problems of Sint Maarten students in the Netherlands, to the challenges facing Sint Maarten with regard to a turnover to sustainable energy as well as the future staffing of the new Prison in Point Blanche, scheduled for opening in 2028.

At the CBS, he discussed ways in which this organisation could help strengthen Sint Maarten’s data-collection; at DNB, the special fund the Bank introduced to underline its accountability in and for the slave trade of the Netherlands took centre stage.

HE Governor Baly looks back at an intensive, but fruitful visit to the Netherlands.