THE HAGUE – Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten will make his first official visit to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom from May 8 to 14, in what the Dutch government describes as an early and deliberate effort to strengthen ties with the six islands.
The week-long Kingdom tour will take Jetten to Sint Maarten, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Bonaire, Aruba and Curaçao.
It will be Jetten’s first trip to the Caribbean in his capacity as prime minister and comes just months into the new Dutch cabinet’s term, underlining what The Hague says is the importance of maintaining strong cooperation across the Kingdom.
According to the Dutch government, the visit will focus on key themes including resilience, security and sustainability, but will also include direct conversations with residents, business leaders and social organizations.
During the trip, Jetten will meet all prime ministers and governors of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, as well as members of the respective parliaments. On Bonaire, Saba and Sint Eustatius, he will meet island governors and island council members.
The meetings are expected to address both political cooperation and practical challenges facing the islands.
Starting in Sint Maarten
The official tour begins on Sint Maarten, where Jetten will receive briefings on the island’s ongoing post-hurricane reconstruction efforts, law enforcement issues, governance and regional cooperation in disaster response.
Disaster preparedness remains a major concern for the island nearly a decade after the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Jetten will also meet organizations working on youth development, healthcare, social welfare, tourism and entrepreneurship, as well as non-governmental organizations involved in community support.
The agenda reflects the Dutch government’s growing focus on social resilience alongside economic development.
Saba and elderly care
On May 10, Jetten travels to Saba, where his agenda shifts toward healthcare and community infrastructure.
He will visit the Saba Cares Nursing Home, where he will speak with elderly residents about life on the island and the challenges facing senior care in small island communities.
He will also visit the St. Johns Enrichment Center, a new multifunctional neighborhood center being developed within an educational complex.
The project is intended to strengthen community support systems and social services.
History and oil on Statia
On May 11, Jetten continues to Sint Eustatius, where economic and historical issues will dominate the visit.
He will tour the island’s oil transshipment terminal, one of Statia’s most important economic assets.
The prime minister will also take part in a historical walking tour focused on slavery history and the island’s cultural heritage.
Special attention will be given to Statiaday 2026, marking 250 years of ties between Sint Eustatius and the United States.
The island holds a unique place in American history because of “The First Salute,” the symbolic moment in 1776 when Statia became the first foreign entity to recognize the independence of the United States.
This historical connection remains a point of pride for the island and the Kingdom.
Waste, education and housing on Bonaire
On May 12, Jetten visits Bonaire, where environmental sustainability and social development are central themes.
He will tour the Selibon Lagun landfill to assess waste management challenges and environmental planning.
Waste disposal remains one of the major sustainability issues on Bonaire.
Jetten will also visit Kolegio San Bernardo to discuss education and youth development.
Later, he will participate in discussions with agriculture officials at LVV Bonaire on building a sustainable and future-proof food system, a growing priority as food security becomes a bigger regional issue.
The Bonaire visit also includes a tour of a social housing construction project, highlighting housing affordability as a growing concern.
Nature, business and aviation on Aruba
Later that same day, Jetten travels to Aruba, where he will attend the official premiere of a documentary about Aruba’s natural environment.
The film forms part of the broader multimedia project WOW!, focusing on the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
On May 13, Jetten’s program includes visits to Arikok National Park, the Centro Deportivo Libertador Betico Croes and a local business participating in the new BMKB ACS financing program.
The BMKB ACS program is aimed at improving access to financing for small and medium-sized businesses in the Caribbean.
Jetten will conclude his Aruba visit with a tour of Queen Beatrix International Airport before departing for Curaçao.
Strategic focus on Curaçao
Jetten’s final stop is Curaçao, where the visit takes on a broader geopolitical and economic focus.
His program begins with a dinner meeting involving business leaders and social organizations to discuss the island’s economic and social challenges.
Topics are expected to include economic diversification, poverty, labor market challenges and regional trade opportunities.
On the morning of May 14, Jetten will receive a strategic briefing at Marinebasis Parera on the geopolitical situation in the Caribbean region.
That meeting is likely to include discussions on regional security, migration, organized crime and the changing political and economic situation in neighboring Venezuela.
He will then visit the Tula Museum, highlighting Curaçao’s history and cultural heritage.
Later in the day, Jetten will attend a community meeting focused on neighborhood strengthening and social cohesion.
The visit will conclude with a tour of Aqualectra’s new battery park, one of the island’s major renewable energy and energy storage projects aimed at strengthening electricity stability and sustainability.
Kingdom relations under new cabinet
The visit is being closely watched because it comes early in the term of the new Dutch government and could set the tone for future Kingdom relations.
For the Caribbean countries and islands, the visit offers an opportunity to directly raise concerns ranging from economic vulnerability and climate adaptation to governance and security.
For Curaçao, Jetten’s stop may be especially important, given the island’s strategic location, growing economic challenges and increasing importance in regional geopolitical developments.
The Dutch government has repeatedly stressed that developments in the Caribbean—particularly those connected to Venezuela, migration and trade—will play a larger role in Kingdom policy in the coming years.
Jetten’s first Caribbean tour appears designed to reinforce that message: the Caribbean is no longer peripheral to Kingdom policy, but central to it.