PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten, 25/01/01 - Queen Beatrix yesterday brought to a close her four-day working visit to the Windward Islands of the Netherlands Antilles. She was given an enormously hearty welcome everywhere she went.

The Queen attaches great importance to relations with the islands, Kingdom Affairs State Secretary Gijs de Vries said yesterday. The 'status aparte' desired by the residents of Sint Maarten was brought up for discussion many times, but it is still practically inconceivable, De Vries maintained.

It is not at all clear how the islanders themselves conceive this status aparte. However, De Vries believed that it was more important at this moment for the economic situation of the Antilles to be put in order. Any future changes must also benefit all the islands, the state secretary declared.

Although Sint Maarten is irritated by the fact that Dutch money flows via the country's government in Willemstad, this is unlikely to change for the moment if De Vries is to be believed. This would represent excessive interference in the internal relationships in the Antilles.