TT-Barbados PMs talk fishing, energy, integration

The Prime Ministers of Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados discussed the need for a special caucus of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to work toward the deepening of regional integration at a meeting in Port-of-Spain Wednesday.


It was the first overseas visit for the Barbadian leader, David Thompson, since he took office following last month's general election.

The two-hour talks with Prime Minister Patrick Manning also discussed a deadlock on a fishing agreement between the two countries. At the end of their discussions both leaders expressed optimism that the impasse could end within the next year.

The last fishing agreement between the two ended in 1991 and several rounds of negotiations followed, all ending unsuccessfully.

The matter went to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea two years ago, with the ruling including an obligation on Trinidad and Tobago to negotiate "in good faith" an agreement with Barbados that would give it access to fisheries within Trinidad and Tobago's Exclusive Economic Zone.

Thompson arrived in the country on a private jet along with a small delegation for a two-day visit and received a warm welcome from Manning and his full Cabinet.

Thompson received the full honours of a visiting leader, including a 21-gun salute, red carpet reception and a cultural presentation.

In their discussions he and Manning agreed on the need for CARICOM leaders to meet as soon as possible, since there have been change of leadership in several countries in the past year. Manning is the only leader in the region to survive a general election in the past 12 months.

The suggested caucus would be a frank and "off the record" gathering with only the leaders present.

"Many of us may have dialogued on specific issues down through the years, but I think now that changes have taken place and the region now has five new leaders so we need to sit down and reflect where we are going," Thompson the media.

Manning, who is a strong advocate of integration, told reporters the special meeting would allow CARICOM to "identify exactly where everyone is in relation to the integration movement".

"We have been seeking to advance a sub-integration movement in the southern Caribbean, a political integration movement in the southern Caribbean and it is high on our agenda and we are convinced that territories the size of the Caribbean islands will do best to integrate and to get together so that we will have more mass, if that is a proper political term that one can use," Manning said.

Thompson said Barbados is as committed as it ever was to the regional integration process, adding that his island would continue the lead role it has in implementing the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

"We will place our national resources and efforts strongly behind the programme to see the CSME come to its full fruition," he said.

The two prime ministers also discussed regional transportation. Manning indicated that Trinidad and Tobago's national carrier, Caribbean Airlines, is considering using turbo prop aircraft in the Caribbean through.

But he said before that could happen there would have to be "appropriate political discussions take place and there is a meeting of minds".

On the issue of the energy sector, Thompson assured Manning that Barbados would stick with Trinidad for its oil needs, rather than opt for Venezuela's PetroCaribe deal.

Caracas has invited Trinidad and Tobago to be a part of PetoCaribe, which offers Caribbean and Latin American nations oil at a subsidized price with preferential interest rates over an extended period, and in some cases with payment through barter. Cuba sends doctors to Venezuela in return for oil.