THE HAGUE–Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary Hasani Ellis on January 30 co-signed a declaration acknowledging the handing over of documents for the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, for St Maarten.
The agreement formalises and regulates the presence of French military forces in Dutch St Maarten in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, it was stated in a press release on Wednesday. The agreement further regulates the use of Princess Juliana International Airport SXM, the territorial waters and the airspace of Dutch St Maarten by the French military and other designated French entities. It also includes an obligation for the French to respect St Maarten’s laws and regulations when in Dutch St. Maarten, with the obligation to be escorted by the Dutch police.
Ellis was one of the guests at a reception at the residence of the French Ambassador in the Netherlands. The agreement was signed during this reception. According to the release, Ellis’ presence was “well received” by the French Ambassador, who in his address emphasised the shared history and future interests between the French Republic and the Kingdom of the Netherlands in general and in St. Maarten in particular.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/73257-declaration-signed-between-french-republic-st-maarten
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