The Hague – Island Governor Edison Rijna and Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld in a recent meeting have exchanged ideas about the presence of Defense in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and its importance, for example for protecting the islands.

Several joint projects are planned, such as setting up a Multidisciplinary Maritime Hub and setting up the Regional Information and Expertise Center for the Caribbean Netherlands. Defense is an important partner in this. Both partnerships contribute to increasing security on the island, especially in the fight against organized crime.

Border control

Adequate border control is also important for keeping criminals out of Bonaire, which is why this was also discussed in the conversation. “The cooperation with Minister Bijleveld and her Ministry is excellent. As a former State Secretary for Kingdom Relations, she knows Bonaire well.

Even though that was more than ten years ago, her involvement with our island is still great,” says Rijna. The Island Governor also expressed his appreciation for the social volunteer work that soldiers perform when they stay on Bonaire in connection with exercises.