WILLEMSTAD - Prime Minister Rhuggenaath will visit the US travel for a two-day mission with a delegation consisting of Refineria di Kòrsou (Curaçao Refinery) and Curoil. This mission is done together with Prime Minister Wever-Croes of Aruba who will also be accompanied by representatives of the Aruban refinery.

During Prime Minister Rhuggenaath's first visit to Washington DC, he will have several meetings with the State Department, Treasury Department, and also the Office of Foreign Affairs (OFAC), which is responsible for managing sanctions and also granted Curaçao a special license to di business with Venezuelan oil company PDVSA.

The Government of Curaçao has worked intensively with various departments for more than a year to obtain the special license for the government companies Curoil, CRU and Refineria di Kòrsou. Central to the meetings in Washington D.C. is the impact that the situation in Venezuela has on the countries of Curaçao and Aruba, in particular the energy sector.

“The license is an important step, but we will continue to work hard to study all possibilities to guarantee the future of our refinery and jobs,” said the Prime Minister.

There will also be meetings with representatives of the U.S. Congress at Capitol Hill and with international and national organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), World Bank Group and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Prime Minister Rhuggenaath will use the opportunity to position potential economic partnerships and investment opportunities in Curaçao.