King and Minister Plasterk to visit St Maarten

His Majesty the King and the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk, will visit St Maarten today, Monday 11 September 2017.

At the island’s Princess Juliana International Airport, they will be received by Governor Eugene Holiday and Prime Minister of St Maarten William Marlin. They will speak with Michael Hyman, the airport’s head of operations, and members of his team. After a briefing on the current situation, the delegation will drive round the island. The King and Mr Plasterk will visit a number of affected areas and speak with emergency workers at several locations.

In Philipsburg, the first stop will be the hospital, St Maarten Medical Centre. Here, the King and Mr Plasterk will meet with several people, including medical staff and the hospital’s medical director. One of the locations on the island from which emergency assistance is being coordinated is Asha Stevens Elementary School. Here, the delegation will meet with Minister of Justice Rafael Boasman, representatives of the St Maarten and Curaçao police forces, as well as marines and Marechaussee personnel. The King will discuss the current security situation with them and the maintenance of public order on the island.

The final stop will be Point Blanche, a scenic viewpoint in the southeast of the island, in order to assess the situation in the port and the condition of a water tank.

The King and Mr Plasterk will visit St Eustatius and Saba tomorrow.