US hails TT

Trinidad and Tobago was placed on US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to the Caribbean and South America as the US assesses its relationship in Latin America and the Caribbean because it is viewed as an important regional leader.

“Trinidad and Tobago is an important regional leader, and it was a kind of obvious choice for the visit,” Thomas Smitham, Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy yesterday told the media at the US Embassy in St Clair, Port-of-Spain. 

Briefing the media ahead of Biden’s visit, Smitham said that apart from being an important regional leader TT was also taking over the chairmanship of Caricom in July and the US Government was looking forward to continue working with TT and other member states on economic and citizen security issues among other areas.

“It was not on account of any particular concern about activities in (TT),” Smitham said in response to a question as to whether or not the visit was on account of any activities, such as extradition issues that might affect TT and US relations.

The US, he said, was also grateful to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for agreeing to host regional leaders to meet with the Vice President.

Biden’s visit to TT, Colombia and Brazil, and President Barack Obama’s recent visit to Mexico and Costa Rica to assess US relationships, he said was the longest sustained visits ever by the US in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

The major themes of Biden’s visit, Thomas said are to promote economic growth in the region, promote access to energy and diversifying energy supplies, and citizens security.

TT was one of the US greatest trading partners having some 45 percent of its exports going to the US and importing some 33 percent of its goods from the US, he said. The annual trading relations, he noted is pegged at about US$14 billion annually.

At the regional level through the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI), he said that about 85 percent of goods from the Caribbean enter the US market duty free.

On the issue of US production of abundant shale gas and the future of TT’s Liquified Natural Gas, Smitham said will form part of the bilateral discussions between Biden and Persad- Bissessar. This includes the possible suggestion of TT supplying other Caribbean countries with its gas resources thereby reducing their cost of energy and diversifying TT’s exports.

On the issue of citizens security, Smitham noted the components to the CBI Security Initiative (CBISI) were to reduce illicit trafficking in drugs, to promote social justice, and citizens security.

Over the past three years, the US devoted over US$200 million to the CBISI region wide, and about US$11 million to TT for the same period.

Last month, he said, a fire arms adviser took up his post in TT to help track and combat illegal trafficking in small arms and weapons. The adviser will work with the TT Government and other regional governments to help track and reduce trafficking in illegal weapons.

Asked whether the CBISI which assists in training both police and the military in a number of areas, was also training personnel in cyber crime, Smitham said, “I am not aware.”

According to Smitham, Biden is the first sitting US Vice President to visit TT. President Barack Obama who visited in 2009, he said, was the first sitting President to visit since TT gained independence in 1962. Biden who hails from the State of Delaware, Smitham said, is also connected to TT through the Delaware National Guard which has an active partnership exchange programme with the TT military. The Vice President, he said, “is looking forward to meeting with the Delaware people here.”

Newsday