PM Kamla to host meeting of Caricom ambassadors in London Friday

Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Suruj Rambachan met in London Monday with the Dean of Caricom’s Diplomatic Corps, Laleshwar Singh in preparation for the an important meeting Friday between Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Caricom diplomats.

The meeting took place at TT’s High Commission in the British capital shortly after Dr. Rambachan’s arrival here. The Prime Minister leaves for London later Monday from Tobago where she is handing out laptop computers to first form high school students.

Persad-Bissessar is expected to press investment issues and advocate the need for a unified regional approach when she hosts the ambassadors to a working lunch at the High Commission’s Belgrave Square offices. Twelve Caricom countries have diplomatic representatives in London.

Other matters likely to be discussed Friday include the recently-introduced United Kingdom Passage Duty, in which each passenger to the Caribbean is made to pay the equivalent of TT $800.

Duties of varying sums have been imposed on passengers to different countries. Caricom leaders have stoutly resisted the duties.

Dr. Rambachan spent much of Monday in discussions with TT’s Acting High Commissioner to London, Roanna Gopaul, and her staff and held extensive telephone dialogue with key Commonwealth officials.

He will be in a part of the Trinidad and Tobago delegation to talks Tuesday with Commonwealth executives at which he is likely to raise a prior suggestion of a Commonwealth Youth Parliament.

Persad-Bissessar recently offered the proposal to leaders of Commonwealth nations who were in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

At a function she co-hosted, the Prime Minister said such a forum will help to create another cadre of Commonwealth leaders.

She has also proposed the concept of Commonwealth youth ambassadors.

-Ken Ali