THE HAGUE--St. Maarten Justice Minister Edison Kirindongo and St. Maarten Minister Plenipotentiary in The Hague Henrietta Doran-York attended the commemoration for the Brussels attacks at the Belgian embassy in The Hague on Wednesday.

 

Kirindongo, Doran-York, as well as Curaçao Minister Plenipotentiary Marvelyne Wiels were part of the government delegation headed by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte who attended the solemn ceremony. Aruba Minister Plenipotentiary Alfonso Boekhoudt could not be present as he is in Aruba for the Private Public Partnership P3a Conference of the United Nations (UN).

 

Rutte spoke on behalf of the Dutch Cabinet. “Let the silence speak for itself today: friendship and civilisation will always win from hate and violence,” said Rutte who expressed gratitude for the presence of several ambassadors and others members of the diplomatic corps, which he said showed that the international community in the Netherlands stood side by side with Belgium.

 

A minute of silence was observed to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attacks which took place in Brussels on Tuesday, followed by the laying of a wreath by Rutte on behalf of the Dutch Government.

 

Also in attendance at Wednesday’s commemoration were Vice-Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher, Ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem of Finance, Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice, Ronald Plasterk of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations, Lilianne Ploumen of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Jet Bussemaker of Education, Culture and Science, Stef Blok of Housing and the Central Government Sector, as well as State Secretaries Klaas Dijkhoff of Security and Justice, Jetta Klijnsma of Social Affairs and Employment, and Sander Dekker of Education, Culture and Science.

 

The Daily Herald