Trinidad and Tobago, US reach security agreements

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Marco Rubio -

TRINIDAD and Tobago and the US have reached agreement on issues of national and economic security. This consensus was reflected in separate statements issued by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) and the US State Department after a meeting between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, DC, on September 30.

In its statement, the OPM said Persad-Bissessar and Rubio's discussions focused on matters of mutual interests affecting both countries. Those matters related to national security, energy security and economic security.

The OPM said Rubio thanked Persad-Bissessar and her government "for their strong political and technical leadership." The OPM added Persad-Bissessar and Rubio "both reaffirmed the strong and enduring partnership between both countries, grounded in deep historic ties and shared goals for regional security and prosperity."

In the State Department's statement, Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said Rubio's talks with Persad-Bissessar to has a focus on regional security and counternarcotics cooperation.

Rubio, Pigott continued, praised TT's steps to counter transnational criminal organisations and curb illicit narcotics and firearms trafficking.

He said, "The leaders also discussed efforts to restore stability in Haiti, including through support for the UN security council resolution authorizing a UN Support Office for Haiti and Gang Suppression Force (GSF)."

In her address to the 80th UN General Assembly in New York on September 26, Persad-Bissessar repeated her support for US President Donald Trump's war against drug cartels and the deployment of US military forces in the southern Caribbean Sea outside of Venezuela's territorial waters. On the same day, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves called for the Caribbean to be respected as a zone of peace and for the withdrawal of US forces from the region.

Persad-Bissessar has said the Caribbean is no longer a zone of peace because of the activities of transnational criminals in the region. She has also said TT, which has lead responsibility for national security in Caricom's quasi-cabinet, will not engage Caricom on the US deployment.

Pigott said Rubio "emphasised that deepening US–TT cooperation will be critical to disrupting narco-trafficking networks, strengthening regional security, and safeguarding our region."