WASHINGTON, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley held talks with the United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Monday, 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 our work, as well as seeking and building up prosperity and opportunity in the region as a whole.”
Blinken said other regional challenges were being addressed “whether it is in Venezuela, whether it is in Haiti, …including strengthening our bilateral ties, which I am very pleased to see over the last couple of years …is a vital partnership”.
Rowley said he was delighted 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 significant to us, and we keep emphasizing that it is also important to the United States.”
He acknowledged that the US is a significant trading partner, with many Trinidad and Tobago nationals residing and working here.
“We are very proud of our international obligations…and we keep emphasizing 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. It has “in fact taking them on board.”
Rowley said safety and security challenges and energy security are significant.
A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister in Port of Spain noted that both countries continue to partner on critical issues, including energy, education, crime prevention, training, and technical assistance.
It said that discussions “explicitly focussed 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 program.
“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 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-centered,” 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 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.
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