Saint Martin activist slams France, Netherlands for lack of development on island

Young activist from the island of Saint Martin Yadiska Van Richele has said that neither France nor the Netherlands are interested in the development of Saint Martin.

Yadiska Van Richele made these remarks during an international conference titled "French and Dutch Colonialism on Saint Martin - One Island, One People, One Destiny," organised by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG), Caliber.Az reports. 

He emphasised that the metropolitan countries are not creating new job opportunities on the island.

"The youth of the island are protesting against the neocolonial policy of France and the Netherlands. The neocolonialists in Paris and Amsterdam are oppressing our country. Thanks to the support of Azerbaijan and the efforts of the Baku Initiative Group, we are bringing our issues to the attention of the global community," he added.

Executive director of the BIG Abbas Abbasov has said that the BIG is committed to active collaboration aimed at supporting countries suffering from neocolonialism and striving for independence.

He noted that the BIG had organised more than 20 international events in this field.

"We have also signed memorandums with Bonaire, Mayotte, and French Polynesia," Abbasov added.

The Baku Initiative Group, which was established on July 6, 2023, during the ministerial meeting of the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement chaired by Azerbaijan, has played a crucial role in supporting independence movements. BIG has already organised up to 15 international conferences, including sessions at the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, as well as in Istanbul and Baku, aiming to highlight colonialism as a persistent global issue in the 21st century.

By Naila Huseynova