Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said yesterday that national security and safety would be a top priority in her discussions with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio today.
The Prime Minister departed New York yesterday on a three-hour train journey to Washington for today’s meeting, which will take place at the US Department of State.
She is expected to return to Trinidad tomorrow night.
In response to questions from the Express yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said her visit to Washington was at the invitation of Rubio and she was not aware of any other Caricom member being invited to the meeting.
She said the bilateral talks would focus on several issues, particularly safety and security.
Persad-Bissessar left Trinidad on September 25 where she addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. She was originally scheduled to return today but extended her trip following Rubio’s invitation.
A video posted on the United National Congress (UNC) Facebook page showed Persad-Bissessar seated on the train en route to Washington, where she provided an update on the meeting.
She reiterated that the “priority one” area for discussion is national security and safety.
“Thereafter energy security is vital to us as well with respect to hydrocarbon resources that lie in our waters,” she said.
She added that Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers had also secured a meeting with the United States Trade Representative’s office, in addition to the meeting with Rubio, to discuss trade tariffs.
The Prime Minister said “tremendous leaps and bounds” had been achieved in the first days of her trip and she looked forward to the Washington visit, emphasising its importance given this country’s focus on economic, energy and national security.
Persad-Bissessar said she missed the people of Trinidad and Tobago, sent her love, and looked forward to returning soon.
Rubio has mentioned Trinidad and Tobago’s support of the United States’ presence in the southern Caribbean and its action in the deployment of US military off the coast of Venezuela to combat narco-trafficking.
Following the US strike on a vessel which allegedly killed 11 Tren de Aragua gang members smuggling drugs, Persad-Bissessar said that she had no sympathy for drug traffickers and they must all be violently killed.
Rubio took note of this and pointed to T&T’s support during a press briefing with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
South-South cooperation
Meanwhile, also on the train to Washington, Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, who is also Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, told the Express yesterday that he, Sobers, Minister of Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein, and Parliamentary Secretary in the Foreign Affairs Ministry Nicholas Morris would be accompanying the Prime Minister to Washington to meet Rubio and other US officials.
He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary would also join the delegation as the chief public servant to harmonise the agreements and discussions between the Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the US Government representatives.
Padarath said the Prime Minister’s US visit had yielded tremendous success. He noted that while previous efforts focused on North-South relationships, the Prime Minister had shifted emphasis to South-South cooperation and tapping into areas never before explored.
He said new trade routes and synergies were being developed with Middle Eastern countries, and actual memoranda of understanding had been signed, which the Prime Minister would provide details on upon her return, including the $94 million Chinese grant.
Padarath said Persad-Bissessar had been “shining on the international stage” and the response had been overwhelmingly positive. He said people wanted to hear about her policies for Trinidad and Tobago, particularly her stance on national security and international cooperation.
“It is personally gratifying for me to see how humble she continues to remain and how well loved,” he said.
He added that Persad-Bissessar was “totally swarmed by the diaspora” at an event she attended on Saturday, and that there was an “electrifying” response to her everywhere she went.
“I must also say that her sense of style both here in New York and at home continues to be quite admirable anywhere she goes,” said Padarath.