THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE):--- Recently, Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell welcomed Dr. Ann Derwin, the Irish Ambassador to the Netherlands.
Derwin is the 15th Ambassador to the Netherlands, at a time when more than 50 percent of Irish diplomatic missions around the world are led by women.
Ambassador Derwin extended a visit to Minister Plenipotentiary, Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, and during her visit the Ambassador highlighted the warm and dynamic relationship between Ireland and Sint Maarten. This sentiment was echoed in her conversation with Minister Arrindell.
The meeting focused on potential areas for collaboration in the future, particularly in the fields of food security, educational exchange, and tourism market access.
The agri-food sector is Ireland’s oldest and largest indigenous exporting sector. In 2020, the sector accounted for over 6% of GNI (Gross National Income) and 9% of exports in terms of value. The sector accounts for 38% of total indigenous exports and over 60% of indigenous manufactured exports. The sector employed 163,600 people or 7.1% of total employment in 2020; outside of Dublin and the mid-east region, the sector provides between 10% and 14% of employment.
There are 137,500 farms producing over €8.2 billion in output, and over 2,000 fishing vessels and aquaculture sites producing fish with a value of €700 million. In Ireland, agri-food is an integral part of the economy and society, and especially so for the rural and coastal communities.
Opportunities were explored to expand student exchange initiatives, such as those available through the European Union (EU) Erasmus Programme.
In addition, the Ambassador highlighted Ireland’s vast expertise in the cultivation of potatoes and the embassy’s willingness to explore opportunities for knowledge exchange on this subject.
Ireland and the Netherlands have enjoyed diplomatic ties since 1945, and the embassy was opened in The Hague in 1950 when Josephine McNeill – the first female diplomat to represent Ireland abroad in a Ministerial capacity – presented her credentials to Her Majesty Queen Juliana.
