This is a constituent nation belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and situated in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, some kilometers north of the Venezuelan peninsula of Paraguaná and bordered by Curaçao. The country, Bonaire and Curaçao are parts of the group known as the ABC islands. They and the three other Dutch islands in the Caribbean territory are often referred to as the Dutch Caribbean, of which the island nation constitutes around one-third of their population. Since 1986 when it became a constituent island nation in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and started using its present name, the Country of Aruba, the country has grown rapidly in terms of its size and economy.
If you are interested in knowing about the diplomatic relations in this territory, this article provides information on foreign diplomatic relations of Aruba and other bilateral information.
About the country of Aruba
It used to be a part of the defunct Netherlands Antilles; however, in 1986, it separated from the territory and gained its constitution. As a designated member of the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT), it is officially not a member of the EU, though it may and can receive aid from the European Development Fund. Although from 1954 to 1986, it used to be a member of the Netherlands Antilles, before then, the island was a part of Curaçao and its Dependencies. Now a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, The Netherlands is charged with conducting the foreign affairs of the country with other republics, including Canada. It has established foreign diplomatic relations with a few countries across all the continents in the world. It is responsible for maintaining all bilateral relations the island has with other countries and ensuring its development through several foreign partnerships and investments here.
Countries with diplomatic relations
The island nation has diplomatic relations with a number of countries in the world including the Americas. The United States and the island are in partnership to prevent illegal migration through their borders and crime rate. They have legal agreements with each other to control the import and export trade between the US and the country. The tourism sector is substantial to the Aruban economy. In 2017, about 40,000 Canadians visited the island, making it the second largest source of tourists for the island. Also, in 2018, around 1,565 Arubans visited Canada. Canada has a Tax Information Exchange Agreement and Air Transport Agreement with the country. The treaty between Canada and the Kingdom of the Netherlands on administrative assistance in Customs Matters applying to both nations also applies to this island. The Embassy of Canada to the Kingdom of the Netherlands located in The Hague represents Canada. While the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ottawa and its Consulates in Toronto and Vancouver represent the island. Information on consular aid to Canadians residing within this territory as well as Canada-Aruba trade and investments is handled by the Embassy of Canada based in Bogota, Colombia. Its Honorary Consul in Curaçao also handles Canadian consular interests here.
Partnerships and organizations of the country
In the bid to develop effective responses to recent and emerging global challenges, the island works closely in multilateral fora, such as the following:
- International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
- United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- The Pacific Alliance
- United Nations (UN)
- Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN)
- North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
- Open Government Partnership (OGP)
- World Trade Organisation (WTO)
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), etc.
