PRIME Minister Stuart Young and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio have agreed to co-operate on deepening TT-US collaboration on energy, national security and other matters of mutual interest.
This was reflected in a statement issued by the US State Department on the evening of March 26, after Young and Rubio held bilateral discussions in Jamaica.
The meeting lasted for one hour.
The statement, read by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, said Rubio thanked Young "for Trinidad and Tobago’s cooperation to promote energy security, deepen our security partnership, and enhance coordination on the deportation of illegal aliens."
Rubio and Young discussed the Trump administration’s decision to name the dangerous Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) and encouragement for regional partners to take similar steps.
Rubio encouraged Young to join the US and other Caribbean democracies in limiting malign influence in the region.
This information was repeated in a post on X by the US Embassy in TT later on March 26.
In a briefing on March 25 about Rubio's travel itinerary to the Caribbean this week, US Special Envoy for Latin America Mauricio Claver-Carone said the US understood TT's longstanding role as an energy leader in the region.
"Obviously it is going through its own development as it seeks to revitalise its natural gas opportunities and is going through that modernisation as some of the older fields and opportunities there dry up and they’re looking for the new ones."
Claver-Carone said, "There, along with a lot of the challenges posed with Venezuela, we’re deeply committed to working with Trinidad to figuring out how to re-energize that – those natural gas opportunities and ensure that its economy continues to move forward despite the challenges presented with Venezuela and otherwise."
He added this is a historic opportunity for energy security in the Caribbean.
A statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) earlier on March 26 said, "The talks focused on several issues of mutual interest, including national security, trade and energy. The discussions were productive with both parties emphasizing the importance of the relationship between both countries and pledging to deepen ties."
Young returned home on March 26 and will address a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall on March 27 to provide information on the bilateral discussions with Rubio.
On March 24, US President Donald Trump announced the US will put a secondary tariff on Venezuela for many reasons, including allegedly sending high level criminals to the US such as members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
The post said any country which purchases oil and gas from Venezuela will be forced to pay a 25 per cent tariff to the US on any trade they do with the US.
This tariff is supposed to take effect from April 2.
At a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall on March 20, Young said efforts continue to be made to ensure cross-border energy deals with Venezuela come to fruition
