KRALENDIJK – On Monday, the Island Council of Bonaire paid a courtesy visit to the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, Luc Mercelina. The meeting focused on the shared desire not only to maintain but also to strengthen the ties between the islands.

The delegation consisted of council members Dirksz, Vrolijk, Coffee, Chirini-Felida, Hellburg-Mackay, and the council clerk. Various topics were discussed during the meeting, including the current constitutional status of both islands, future aspirations and ambitions, and a retrospective on the establishment and current state of the constitutional structure of the former Netherlands Antilles.

A special moment during the meeting was the personal connection of Prime Minister Mercelina with Bonaire. His father was Bonairian, while his mother was from Sint Maarten. This shared background highlighted the strong historical and cultural ties between the islands.

Valuable

The Island Council regarded the meeting as valuable, and both parties expressed their intention to further intensify cooperation between the islands and jointly address challenges.