Officials at the highest level of Government as well as Police, Customs, Immigration and Disaster Preparedness personnel from Anguilla, French and Dutch St. Marten/St. Maarten, met in a tripartite meeting on Wednesday July 11.

Governor Andrew George (centre) with Sint Maarten/St. Martin officials

The meeting was held in the Executive Council’s Chambers in Anguilla under the chairmanship of Governor Andrew George, but with leadership roles also by the heads of the French and Dutch delegations.

Governor George told the local media that, as usual, the meeting covered a wide range of areas ranging including the safety and security of foreign services; immigration matters; an exchange of information on visa requirements; police cooperation; problems related to vehicle theft in the half French/half Dutch territory; and preparations to deal with possible disasters and how the islands might be able to assist each other in the event of a serious matter involving a hurricane, ferryboat, aircraft or other incident.

The Governor said the Anguilla officials has extended an invitation to the French and Dutch authorities to attend and participate in an exercise planned for next week to test the arrangements that are in place on the island to mitigate the effects of a disaster.

“I think we had a very good exchange of views and excellent cooperation,” Governor George stated. “The various agencies involved work closely together day to day as we have to, and it is important from time to time to review how we are working together and what new areas we might embark on.”

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