Overseas Minister Annick Girardin will meet in October 2019 with Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok to find a solution to the dispute between the two countries on the Oyster Pond border. A meeting which should make it possible to clarify the situation on the delimitation of the border on this part of the island, and whether the border is located in the middle of the lagoon or all along the northern coast.
Minister Stef Blok was questioned by a Dutch MP who asked why the owner of the restaurant at the Captain Oliver marina could not rebuild her establishment, which had been damaged during Hurricane Irma. The owner had obtained a building permit from the authorities in Sint Maarten to rebuild the original. If Sint Maarten does not oppose reconstruction, it would be made difficult by the conflict between the two countries. In addition, the owner indicated that she feared controls by the French authorities as had been the case in 2014, 2016 and 2017. Following these controls by the French authorities, the Netherlands had expressed their disapproval by diplomatic. The Dutch minister stressed that it was necessary to find a solution with France for this border problem which has persisted since 1996. In 2016, negotiations had been started on this issue, and two meetings had taken place. However, following Hurricane Irma, the process over this disagreement, which concerns only the Captain Oliver restaurant and the wharf on the northern part of Oyster Pond, has been delayed._RM
8,218 total views
No comments