Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro and Kingdom of the Netherlands Ambassador Rudolf Bekink signed a new U.S.-Kingdom of the Netherlands Status of Forces Agreement covering the Kingdom’s territories in the Caribbean at the Department of State on October 19.
The five-year agreement expands and builds upon the success of our previous 2005 agreement, and will facilitate participation by U.S. military personnel in joint exercises and training activities, ship visits by the U.S. Navy, and other cooperative activities with the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces in Aruba, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba. While Curaçao is not currently covered by this agreement, the agreement does allow Curaçao to join at a later time.
This new Status of Forces Agreement illustrates the enduring strength of the U.S.-Kingdom of the Netherlands partnership in a strategically important region, advances our shared security interests, and will bring significant benefits to local economies as well.
