Caption: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, left, speaks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, at the State Department in Washington, DC on Tuesday. From left, Sean Sobers, Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs; Barry Padarath, Minister of Public Utilities; Saddam Hosein, Minister of Legal Affairs; Nicholas Morris, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs; and Randall Karim, Head of the Foreign Service.
By Prior Beharry
IN her first interview after being sworn in as prime minister for a second time on May 1, Kamla Persad-Bissessar declared the Dragon gas was deal “dead.”
Fast forward, five months later, the cross-border Trinidad and Tobago–Venezuela natural gas project appears to be back on track following high-level talks in Washington with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Persad-Bissessar met Rubio at the US Department of State on Tuesday before returning to New York by train.
Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers, Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, Legal Affairs Minister Saddam Hosein, head of the Foreign Service Randall Karim, and Foreign Service Officer Venessa Ramhit Ramroop accompanied her.
In a video update posted to her Facebook page after the meeting, the prime minister said there were “important discussions on bilateral interests” and hinted at “good news” for Trinidad and Tobago.
A statement later from the Office of the Prime Minister stated that the US has expressed support for developing Trinidad and Tobago’s hydrocarbon cross-border resources.
It stated that the commitment was secured during talks that focused on national security, energy security, and economic security.
According to the statement, Rubio thanked Persad-Bissessar and her Government for their “strong political and technical leadership,” and both sides reaffirmed the “strong and enduring partnership” between the countries, rooted in historic ties and shared goals for regional security and prosperity.
On energy security, the Prime Minister held “intensive discussions” with Rubio, who assured her that Trinidad and Tobago’s prosperity is in the interest of the United States, the release said.
“Subsequent to the meeting, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago was informed that the Secretary of State supports the approval of the relevant Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licences to begin discussions toward developing its cross-border hydrocarbons,” the statement concluded.
In her inaugural speech on May 1, Persad-Bissessar said her government was looking at Grenada for gas exploration.
She had said, “I have a surprise for you. I intend to send my Minister of Energy to Grenada, because I have been told, Grenada offshore has more gas and oil than the Dragon field.”
The US Department of State also issued a separate news release following the meeting on Tuesday, attributed to principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
Pigott’s statement read:
“Secretary Rubio met today with Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to discuss the strong U.S.–Trinidad and Tobago partnership, particularly on regional security and counternarcotics cooperation. He commended Trinidad and Tobago’s steps to counter Transnational Criminal Organizations and curb illicit narcotics and firearms trafficking. The leaders also discussed efforts to restore stability in Haiti, including through support for the UN security council resolution authorising a UN Support Office for Haiti and Gang Suppression Force.
“The Secretary acknowledged the importance of energy security to Trinidad and Tobago’s economic prosperity and regional stability. He outlined US support for the government’s Dragon gas proposal and steps to ensure it will not provide significant benefit to the Maduro regime. The Secretary emphasised that deepening U.S.–Trinidad and Tobago cooperation will be critical to disrupting narcotrafficking networks, strengthening regional security, and safeguarding our region.”
