Prime Minister of Curacao Ben Whiteman signed a cooperation agreement in Brussels on behalf of 22 members of the Association of Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTA) with the European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, regarding renewable energy.
The European Union (EU) will primarily assist with the promotion of recycling and the transport of energy and the development of tourism, using renewable energy. OCT countries will in return ensure that the energy legislation is in order and create the conditions to allow the use of renewable energy. In addition, the private sector must also be provided with opportunities. Whiteman attended the fourteenth OCT conference as chairman of the OCT Association of Overseas Countries and Territories of Europe (OCTA).
The conference mainly discussed the institutionalization of OCTA and the funding of the organization. In addition, climate change was a major theme, as well as investing in the economy. During his speech Whiteman underlined that during his chairmanship a plan has been formulated for the period 2015- 2020 and that there has been a meeting of Energy Ministers that have signed the so-called “Sustainable Energy Roadmap” during this meeting.
Source: Antilliaans Dagblad, Curacao