Dominica boosts ties with Netherlands, PM Skerrit welcomes new Dutch Ambassador Cornelis Hersbach

Dominica: Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, on Monday, welcomed the newly appointed Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Cornelis Hersbach. The visit aimed at welcoming the new Ambassador and discussing bilateral ties between Dominica and the Netherlands.

Before this meeting, the Ambassador presented his credentials to the President of Dominica, Sylvanie Burton.

PM Skerrit said that the meeting was very significant and he expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Hersbach for the huge support extended to Dominica following Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Maria. He further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the relationship between the two countries.

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Finance, Economic Development, Climate Resilience and Social Security, Dr Irving McIntyre and Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Missi Henderson.

This was the Ambassador’s first courtesy call to Dominica since his appointment as the Ambassador of the Netherlands.

The meeting allowed both the leaders to discuss enhanced collaboration between Netherlands and Dominica and ways to forge bilateral ties. PM Skerrit also expressed his willingness to work with the Ambassador on various fronts, making the relationship between the two countries more robust than ever and allowing them for increased cooperation in various fields.

Notably, Dominica and Netherlands have a relationship that involves working together on significant issues such as climate change and regional security. Netherlands has also offered its expertise to the small island of Dominica in areas such as sustainable agriculture and geothermal energy.

In 2022, Netherlands exported a total of $215 million to Dominica, while the island nation exported $342 to Netherlands, benefiting each other in various fields. Not only this, but Netherlands also helps Dominica in times of need. It provided air and shipping lifts to the island in 2017 following huge destruction by Category five Hurricane Maria.