By John Myers, Jr.Staff ReporterSAYING HE was fascinated by the old world charm of historic Port Royal, Louis Michel, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, has pledged his commitment to provide developmental assistance for the famous seaside town in East Kingston.
Mr. Michel, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, told The Gleaner following a tour of the town yesterday that "I would like to help them (the people) in terms of providing financing for the restoration of the houses and also the building of common infrastructure, for instance, sports fields for the children and may support purses for the students to go to the university."
And in noting how impressed he was with the rich cultural heritage, the Belgian Foreign Minister stressed that "I am also fascinated by the people...it is not a rich community but is a rather peaceful community".
Mr. Michel, flanked by his Chief-of-Staff Johan Verbeke, local diplomatic representatives, Belgian journalists, a local medical team and a strong security detail, arrived in Port Royal about 10:40 a.m. to view the relics of war artilleries used to fight war by the Europeans in their conquest to conquer the 'new world'. After touring the Fort George battle site, viewing the various artefacts on display in the mini-museums on site and getting a touch of the "giddy feeling" in the Giddy House, Mr. Michel went on to get a first hand view of the humble dwellings of the inhabitants by going inside and talking with them.
PICTURESQUE VIEW
Taking a quick rest at the Morgan's Harbour Hotel to enjoy a refreshing drink and a picturesque view of the King-ston Harbour before proceeding to the airport at 1:30 p.m. to return home, Mr. Michel reiterated his pledge to lobby his Government and the Eurpean Union (EU) to provide developmental assistance for Jamaica and the region towards the preservation of the sugar industry. He stressed that it is important to save the sugar industry, especially since the livelihood of many citizens depend on it. "The sugar issue, if it is not managed in a good way and if Europe does not respect its small duty, then you can have some problem socially in this country," Mr. Michel said.
The Belgian Deputy Head of Government also gave his assurance to advocate for the provision of technical support and funding for the construction of a multi-million dollar transportation hub in Half-Way Tree, implementation of the Port Royal-Portmore Ferry Service and the development of the Tourism Master Plan.
With respect to tourism, Mr. Michel said a business invitation has been extended to the Tourism Minister to visit Belgium in an effort to discuss measures to increase the roughly 2,000 tourists who travel from the European country to the island.
The Belgian Deputy Prime Minister was on an official three-day visit to the island which began on Friday and ended yesterday.
