WASHINGTON, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley held talks with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Monday, with Washington underscoring the significance of the diplomatic relations between the 2 international locations.
“Trinidad and Tobago is an important companion of the US, and we’re working collectively in lots of areas, together with to advance vitality safety and local weather resilience, one thing the folks of Trinidad and Tobago really feel very strongly about,” Blinken mentioned at the beginning of the talks, including “and we’re doing this…beneath the United States-Caribbean Partnership to handle the local weather disaster.
“We’re partnering as properly to struggle violent crime and firearm trafficking. That may be a precedence for our work, in addition to looking for and increase prosperity and alternative within the area as an entire.”
Blinken mentioned different regional challenges have been being addressed “whether or not it’s in Venezuela, whether or not it’s in Haiti, …together with strengthening our bilateral ties, which I’m more than happy to see over the past couple of years …is an important partnership”.
Rowley mentioned he was delighted that regardless of his “very hectic schedule,” Blinken was capable of meet with the Trinidad and Tobago delegation, including that the connection between Washington and the broader Caribbean “is important to us, and we hold emphasizing that it’s also essential to the US.”
He acknowledged that the US is a major buying and selling companion, with many Trinidad and Tobago nationals residing and dealing right here.
“We’re very pleased with our worldwide obligations…and we hold emphasizing that we is likely to be small, however we’re not insignificant, and we acknowledge our buying and selling relations, our diplomatic conditions, and the challenges within the Caribbean that you simply point out,” Rowley mentioned, noting that in recent times, the area has raised points with Washington. It has “actually taking them on board.”
Rowley mentioned security and safety challenges and vitality safety are vital.
An announcement issued by the Workplace of the Prime Minister in Port of Spain famous that each international locations proceed to companion on essential points, together with vitality, schooling, crime prevention, coaching, and technical help.
It mentioned that discussions “explicitly focussed on nationwide safety and firearms trafficking and the work being superior by the Caribbean Basin Safety Initiative, which is the US regional citizen safety and improvement program.
“Talks touched on the historic and rising points surrounding Venezuela because it pertains to Trinidad and Tobago’s pathway in direction of reaching vitality safety for the area. The agenda additionally included a dialog on collaborating to strengthen cyber and digital coverage and the strategy to the continuing instability in Haiti,” the assertion mentioned with out elaborating.
Earlier, Prime Minister Rowley met with United States Commerce Consultant Ambassador Katherine Tai, who, as a member of President Joe Biden’s Cupboard, is the chief commerce advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on US commerce coverage.
“The Prime Minister and Ambassador Tai superior their concepts on additional strengthening the bilateral financial partnership and alternatives to develop commerce. This included analyzing views on enhancements that may be made to widen participation within the Caribbean Basin Initiative, safe provide chain administration, and make sure that commerce insurance policies are people-centered,” the assertion mentioned.
Rowley is being accompanied by Overseas and CARICOM Affairs Minister Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Vitality and Vitality Industries and Minister within the Workplace of Prime Minister Stuart Younger, in addition to the Minister of Digital Transformation Assel Bacchus and Chief of Defence Employees of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Pressure, Air Vice-Marshal Darryl Daniel.
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