Arrindell participates in Online Ministerial Conference Overseas Countries & Territories Association of the European Union
On behalf of the Prime Minister L.F.E. Marcelina, Honorable Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, participated in the online Ministerial Conference Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the European Union (OCTA-EU), on the 27th of June 2024. Minister Arrindell was mandated through a national decree, a decision within the COM and an authorization by the PM.
This meeting was chaired by Honorable Ms. Evelyn Wever- Croes, Prime Minister of Aruba, also the elected Chair of the OCTA-EU, and was attended by 11 of the 13 member countries, with in total 26 representatives.
Important matters on the agenda mainly focusing on the financial/administrative decisions for the OCTA-EU and specifical requests to the European Commission were discussed and decided on. Minister Arrindell abstained from voting on some matters after sharing Sint Maarten’s view in valuing accountability and transparency by preferring a written procedure, enabling her and the Sint Maarten technical experts’ team to spend more time in studying and commenting on the submitted documents.
The Minister was assisted by her staff from within the Cabinet of Minister Plenipotentiary Sint Maarten in the Hague and the team of the department of Interior and Kingdom relations, who are both specialized in the EU dossier.
Minister Arrindell emphasizes on the importance of Sint Maarten’s involvement within the EU agencies, mainly targeting accessing opportunities of collaboration in the area of trade, innovation, technology, green/blue economy, digitalization and especially access to funding.
The OCTA-EU platform also enables Sint Maarten to participate in political and economic discussions strengthening the strategic position of Sint Maarten. With a strong participation of Sint Maarten within these international agencies, implementation of a national development plan can be pursued without delays and gives Sint Maarten the chance to adjust it’s path to create better circumstances for prosperity for the people of Sint Maarten.
