French Minister on St. Maarten

The French minister of overseas territories, Annick Girardin, visited the island of St.

Girardin also spoke about looting. 'We are going to focus on safety and then follow the reconstruction,' said the 53-year-old government woman.

The island has been partly French and partly Dutch since 1648. Nearly 78,000 people live, of which almost 37,000 are in French Saint Martin.