New year, new border for Belgium and the Netherlands

[snoop1130]

New year, new border for Belgium and the Netherlands
Euronews



EUROPE -- With the new year comes new territory for Belgium and the Netherlands. They have agreed on a friendly exchange of land, which will slightly alter the border dividing the two countries.

The swap will see the Belgian town of Visé lose a piece of land jutting into the Meuse river.

In exchange, Belgium is being given the land around a lock in Eijsden, which was built to promote the flow of traffic between the two countries.

Over the years, the river has turned the plot being given to the Netherlands into a peninsula, only accessible by land from that country.

Rumours are rife that the land is being used for drug deals and illicit sexual activity.

Jean-François Duchesne, the Police Commissioner of the Lower Meuse region added;
“One day passersby found a headless body and so obviously they alerted the Dutch authorities, who told them it was actually on Belgian territory. So, we had to go over there by boat with all that was needed: the prosecutor; the coroner; forensics experts. We had to go back and forth on the boat, which was really not very practical.”

The land swap has been welcomed on both sides of the frontier. Visé‘s mayor was quoted as saying it should have happened “a long time ago.”

It should be approved by the two countries’ parliaments in 2016. This will be almost 200 years after the current border posts were established, in 1843.

Source: http://www.euronews.com/2015/12/31/new-year-new-border-for-belgium-and-the-netherlands/

-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2015-12-31

[Paul944]

Funny. I did not saw anything about this in the dutch news. I guess it made the news on Thai visa because it is a friendly commutual exchange and of course "Rumours are rife that the land is being used for drug deals and illicit sexual activity."

[silverado]

Funny. I did not saw anything about this in the dutch news. I guess it made the news on Thai visa because it is a friendly commutual exchange and of course "Rumours are rife that the land is being used for drug deals and illicit sexual activity."

as well , i didn't see nothing about that in the news in belgium

anyway, Gelukkig nieuwjaar iedereen in holland !

[hgma]

Good neighbors, and relatives in many areas.

Perfect example for other countries to follow, without dispute, guns or roses .....setlled!

Happy New Year TV Members

Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar Nederlands/Belgische ThaiVisa Members!

[daveAustin]

Sheep [emoji39]

[Halfaboy]

Siverado: re 'anyway, Gelukkig nieuwjaar iedereen in holland ! ...

What about the other people in the Netherlands ?

Have fun !

[Doc46]

Good neighbors, and relatives in many areas.

Perfect example for other countries to follow, without dispute, guns or roses .....setlled!

Happy New Year TV Members

Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar Nederlands/Belgische ThaiVisa Members!

Dank U wel,,,,Hetzelfde voor U ((:

[RickBradford]

You'd think they might sort out Barle-Hertog as well.

Or has that become a tourist attraction, sitting at a cafe table in Holland and chatting to the folk at the neighbouring table, which is in Belgium.

[boomerangutang]

Good neighbors, and relatives in many areas.

Perfect example for other countries to follow, without dispute, guns or roses .....setlled!

Happy New Year TV Members

Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar Nederlands/Belgische ThaiVisa Members!

My thoughts too. Compare the op story with similar issues in Asia. In Asia, neighboring countries will hold grudges for decades over the smallest issues. Even agreeing on the seating arrangement for a meeting can take years, if at all. Not only the two Koreas, but China with nearly every one of its neighbors, and most other places in Asia. Thailand and Cambodia re; the Preah Vihar temple (which is actually a Hindu temple). Where's that at? Still land mines and soldiers pointing rifles? There's another Thai border (which I've seen), this time with Burma, where armed Thai militia are posted every 50 meters, standing with loaded automatic weapons, facing Burma. What is it about Asians - where they have such difficulty (and take endless decades) resolving simple country-to-country issues? Oh well, happy new year....chortle....