POND ISLAND–The Department of Foreign Relations hosted a preparatory meeting on Tuesday in anticipation of the quadripartite meeting set for this fall.
The quadripartite is the annual meeting of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of France, the Collectivité of St. Martin, and the government of St. Maarten. It is a platform for the discussion of topics of mutual interest for all four parties.
The preparatory meeting involved breakout sessions moderated by representatives of the Department of Foreign Relations, the Collectivité and the Prefecture. Discussed were Simpson Bay Lagoon and shipwreck removal, waste management, crisis management, firefighting cooperation, civil aviation and maritime affairs, Customs, immigration and police cooperation, taxation and welfare fraud.
Decisions were also made in the meeting to advance agreements among all four parties. Particular progress has been made in formulating the agreements that will regulate mutual assistance in firefighting and crisis management, as well as in regulating the ferry service between Anguilla/St. Martin/St. Maarten, said Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin in the Council of Ministers’ press briefing.
Work is ongoing on cooperation in solid waste management, as well as strengthening border protection and police cooperation, she added. “Positive discussions in this regard were held with the presence of the Head of the Police of St. Maarten, Head of Coast Guard, and the Gendarmerie, as well as Customs and Immigration units,” she said.
The outcome of the preparatory meeting will set the agenda for the quadripartite in The Hague in the Fall.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/87738-preparations-made-for-quadripartite
View comments
Hide comments