By René Zwart©

The Hague – The Ministry of the Interior Affairs and Kingdom Relations has decided to transfer the Kingdom Relations file to a separate Directorate-General.

Henk Brons has been appointed as a quartermaster for the new department yesterday, which will focus entirely on matters relating to the cooperation of the Netherlands with the other countries of the Kingdom and the coordination of BES matters. Up to now, this has been done by the Kingdom Relations Directorate. The Dutch involvement in the reconstruction of Sint Maarten will also be directed from the new DG.

The establishment of an ‘own’ DG Kingdom Relations is quite a change to the internal organization at BZK. The decision is in line with the promise that the cabinet Rutte III has included in the coalition agreement to put more attention to Kingdom relations.

Bronze is the first candidate to lead the new DG as Director-General Kingdom Relations. He will, for the time being, combine this with the position as acting director of Kingdom Relations and with his position as representative of the Netherlands in Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The emphasis of his work lies in The Hague.

Previously, Brons served as Director General of the Government Information Service at the Ministry of General Affairs where he was prime spokesman for Prime Minister Mark Rutte.