Prime Minister Rowley Holds Talks With US Secretary of State
WASHINGTON, DC – Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley Monday held talks with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken with Washington underscoring the importance of the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“Trinidad and Tobago is a vital partner of the United States and we are working together in many areas including to advance energy security and climate resilience, something the people of Trinidad and Tobago feel very strongly about,” Blinken said at the start of the talks, adding “and we are doing this…under the United States-Caribbean Partnership to address the climate crisis.
“We are partnering as well to fight violent crime and firearm trafficking. That is a priority for the work we are doing, as well as of course seeking and building up prosperity and opportunity in the region as a whole.”
Blinken said there were other regional challenges being addressed “whether it is in Venezuela, whether it is in Haiti, …including the strengthening of our own bilateral ties,which I am very pleased to see over the last couple of years …is a vital partnership”.
Rowley said he was very pleased that despite his “very hectic schedule” Blinken was able to meet with the Trinidad and Tobago delegation, adding that the relationship between Washington and the wider Caribbean “is extremely important to us and we keep emphasising that it is also important to the United States”.
He acknowledged that the US is a major trading partner and with a large number of Trinidad and Tobago nationals residing and working here.
“We are very proud of our international obligations…and we keep emphasising that we might be small but we are not insignificant and we acknowledge our trading relations, our diplomatic situations and the challenges in the Caribbean that you mention,” Rowley said, noting that in recent years, the region has raised issues with Washington and it has “in fact taking them on board”.
Rowley said safety and security challenges are extremely important as well as energy security.
A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister in Port of Spain noted that both countries continue to partner on several key issues including energy, education, crime prevention, training, and technical assistance.
It said that discussions “focussed specifically on national security and firearms trafficking and the work being advanced through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, which is the US regional citizen security and development programme.
“Talks touched on the historical and emerging issues surrounding Venezuela as it relates to Trinidad and Tobago’s pathway towards achieving energy security for the region. The agenda also included a conversation on collaborating to strengthen cyber and digital policy and the approach to the ongoing instability in Haiti,” the statement said without elaborating.
Earlier, Prime Minister Rowley met with United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Katherine Tai, who as a member of the President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is the chief trade advisor, negotiator, and spokesperson on US trade policy.
“The Prime Minister and Ambassador Tai advanced their ideas on further strengthening the bilateral economic partnership and opportunities to expand trade. This included examining views on improvements that can be made to widen participation in the Caribbean Basin Initiative, secure supply chain management and ensure that trade policies are people centred,” the statement said.
Rowley is being accompanied by Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Minister, Dr Amery Browne, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart Young as well as the Minister of Digital Transformation, assel Bacchus and Chief of Defence Staff of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryl Daniel.
