Aruba and the United States signed an MoU to establish a diplomatic post office in Aruba.

They signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation between Aruba and the United States, focusing on creating a Diplomatic Post Office in Aruba for US federal officers working in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities. 

Prime Minister Mike Eman and Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs, and Primary Sector Geoffrey Wever signed the MoU with Ramón Negrón, chargé d'affaires at the US Consulate General in Curacao.

This Memorandum of Understanding materialized after an extensive consultation, cooperation, and discussion between the United States and Aruba. The collective effort of the government agencies, such as the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Customs, Inspectie Volksgezondheid Aruba, and the US Consulate General, concluded in the official signing of the MoU. The Director of Aruba's Customs, Ricky Croes, stated that they have strengthened their relationship with their American colleagues by fully cooperating with CBP to streamline the Diplomatic Post Office procedure here in Aruba. 

Ramón Negrón, chargé d'affaires at the US Consulate General in Corsou, explained that the Diplomatic Post Office serves US personnel stationed outside the United States and avoids additional postal costs for federal personnel in Aruba. They can order via Amazon, for example, without costing them extra, compared to if they were in the United States. They can also receive their medications from the United States without problems.

Aruba's situation is unique since we have CBP operations without a US consulate on its territory. The Diplomatic Post Office will help improve the efficiency of postal services for federal CBP officers and strengthen synergy with one of our most important strategic partners.

Prime Minister Mike Eman indicated that "few countries in the world have a CBP, and if you look at the Caribbean itself, there is one or two, meaning that the United States has made an exception for Aruba. It is something that needs to be cultivated and worked on.”

CPB is crucial for Aruba's tourism, which depends significantly on the United States, whether for its tourists or products. "Maintaining a good relationship with the US government is important for the stability of Aruba's economy," Minister Geoffrey Wever said. According to Minister Wever, "the signing of the MoU for the Diplomatic Post Office complies with the request of the US Government to facilitate the position of CBP personnel working at the airport in pre-clearance. The United States is a solid partner of Aruba.

According to Prime Minister Eman, "The signing of this MoU emphasizes the cooperation between Aruba and the United States, and we hope that soon we can also sign the extension of the CBP agreement to have this essential service for many more years in Aruba.