THE HAGUE – Dutch State Secretary Eric van der Burg will pay a working visit to the Leeward Islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao from July 13 to 17, with a program focused on strengthening cooperation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, promoting local economic development and advancing nature conservation initiatives.
The visit will include meetings with government leaders, tours of key infrastructure and environmental projects, and discussions on economic development, sustainability and regional cooperation.
Bonaire
Van der Burg will begin his visit in Bonaire, where he is scheduled to meet with the Executive Council to discuss recent administrative developments on the island. The agenda also includes updates on the progress of the island's fish processing center, Selibon Lagun, and plans to introduce public transportation.
Environmental conservation will also feature prominently during the visit. The state secretary will tour the mangrove forests at Sorobon under the guidance of conservation organization STINAPA Bonaire, with discussions focusing on biodiversity, climate resilience and environmental protection.
He will also receive an update on the Regio Deal program through visits to several projects aimed at improving Bonaire's logistics, infrastructure and sustainability. The Kingdom government is investing €13 million in the initiative to support broad-based prosperity on the island.
In addition, Van der Burg will tour the facilities of WEB Bonaire to gain insight into the challenges surrounding the production and distribution of drinking water and electricity.
Aruba
On Tuesday, July 14, the state secretary will travel to Aruba, where he will hold meetings with Governor Alfonso Boekhoudt, Prime Minister Mike Eman and Minister of Kingdom Relations, Education, Youth Affairs, Innovation and Sports Gerlien Croes.
At the University of Aruba, Van der Burg will attend a presentation on the Kingdom Start-Up Program, an initiative through which students from Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten collaborate to develop entrepreneurial skills and innovative business ideas.
In light of the recent earthquakes in Venezuela, the state secretary will also visit Aruba's Crisis Management Office, which has been coordinating humanitarian assistance to the neighboring country. During the visit, he will meet members of the Aruba Red Cross emergency response team who recently participated in relief operations in Venezuela.
To learn more about waste management on the island, Van der Burg will tour Ecotech, a company specializing in waste processing and recycling.
His program also includes a visit to Vaper Trading, the first Aruban company to benefit from the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme for Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten (BMKB ACS). The financing program was created to make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises in the three countries to obtain loans for business investments.
Curaçao
Van der Burg is scheduled to arrive in Curaçao on Thursday, July 16.
His program includes a courtesy visit to Governor Mauritsz de Kort, followed by a meeting with Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas to further strengthen bilateral cooperation within the Kingdom.
The state secretary will also visit the Joint Court of Justice, the highest judicial authority serving the Caribbean countries and special municipalities of the Kingdom.
Economic development is another key item on the agenda. Accompanied by Minister of Economic Development Roderick Middelhof, Van der Burg will tour the Port of Curaçao to receive an update on the port's sustainable redevelopment plans.
The visit will conclude with a stop at Blue NAP Americas, Curaçao's leading data center, which hosts digital infrastructure and manages data services for the majority of the island's government institutions.
The working visit is part of ongoing efforts to deepen cooperation between the Netherlands and the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom while supporting sustainable economic growth, innovation and institutional development across the region.