Why Requesting the Help of an Embassy or Consulate General Makes Sense

When thinking of expanding your business beyond our shores, the big question is, where do you start? As islands in the Caribbean we are dependent upon regional cooperation. The Dutch Kingdom embassies in the region are there to help Curaçao businesses with questions related to export or trade. The embassies are part of the Kingdom Ministry of Foreign Affairs and working for the whole of the Kingdom: NL, Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba.

Text By Farah Dibah Ayoubi

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has Caribbean regional embassies in Havana, St. Domingo, Panama, Caracas and Port of Spain, and the Consulate General, (CG), in Miami. They help support regional cooperation between Curaçao companies and countries within the region. They work closely together with the Curaçao Ministry of General Affairs, (MINAZ)/ Directorate for Foreign Relations, (DBB), the Ministry of Economic Development, (MEO), The Curaçao Chamber of Commerce and other organizations such as CINEX and CTB.
The Dutch embassy building in Havana is currently undergoing renovations to create an Orange business hub where entrepreneurs who are Dutch citizens, (upon written request), can work there when on a business visit to Cuba. The reason for this facility is because of the limited access to good temporary workspaces with internet access in Cuba. Because Cuba has a state-orientated economy, having the services of the embassy staff around the corner, is very helpful. Embassies and CG’s can help Dutch entrepreneurs with a number of economically related questions such as:
• Market information: trade related questions and sector information.
• Promotional activities: matchmaking, expos, networking events, trade fairs.
• Troubleshooting: when you encounter any specific problems when doing business in any given country.
• Reports on doing business in the country: such as macro economic information, government policies, SWOT analyses (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), etc.

Diplomatic Affairs in the Region
Source: Presentation of the Regional Envoy for the Caribbean of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Liesbeth Mol at the business event “Connecting the Dots” organized by the Dutch Representation in Curaçao (VNW)

There is a worldwide diplomatic network of 150 embassies and Consulate Generals, (CGs), offering business opportunities for companies in the Dutch Kingdom. The functions carried out at embassies and consulates are very similar, so you can approach them for the same requests. In addition, there are the Honorary Consuls, (HCs), in countries where we don’t have embassies or a Consulate General. HCs serve the interest of the Kingdom upon request. Usually an HC is someone from the local business community. “I have to say on the islands in the Eastern Caribbean we are lucky to have a great group of loyal and helpful HCs that know our Kingdom well,” says Mrs. Mol.
The Caribbean region has six diplomatic missions in Panama, Port of Spain, St. Domingo, Miami, Caracas and Havana. There are of course more embassies that are part of the wider region, for instance Colombia, Costa Rica, and Mexico. All the embassies in this region are at the service of citizens of the Dutch Caribbean. They are a tremendous resource for advice, and can provide Curaçao businesses with an understanding of the ins and outs of the country in which they are based.