United States Vice President Joe Biden is due here for talks with Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders as part of a three-nation tour in May.
“The vice-president’s visit will take place during the week commencing May 27, 2013 when he will also visit Brazil and Colombia,” a statement from the Trinidad and Tobago Government said yesterday.
A White House statement, meanwhile, said that during his visit to the three countries Biden “will meet with key leaders to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues.
“The vice-president looks forward to meeting with Prime Minister (Kamla) Persad-Bissessar as well as leaders of other Caribbean countries, whom Prime Minister Persad Bissessar has graciously offered to invite.
“This trip will be an important chance to discuss our collective efforts to promote economic growth and development, access to energy and our ongoing collaboration on citizen security,” the White House statement said, adding that Biden will be accompanied by his wife Dr Jill Biden.
The Trinidad and Tobago Government statement said that Biden will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Persad Bissessar on collaboration in a number of areas including citizen security.
“This will be followed by a meeting with regional heads who have been invited by the prime minister to discuss issues such as the collective efforts to promote economic growth, energy interdependence, and development in the Caribbean,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Persad Bissessar was quoted in the statement as saying that Biden’s visit underscores “the continued strengthening of diplomatic relations between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago”.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar shrugged off reports that relations between Washington and Port of Spain had deteriorated, telling a public meeting of her United National Congress (UNC) that Trinidad and Tobago and United States are true friends.
Washington has maintained a stony silence on requests from the government here on whether or not former national security minister Austin ‘Jack’ Warner was under investigation in the United States regarding his activities as an international football executive.
The US Embassy had also issued a statement regarding the non-extradition of two businessmen, Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson wanted in the United States on fraud charges relating to the Piarco International Airport development project.
