Caribbean Leaders to Meet US Vice President Biden
St. Kitts and Nevis’ Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas is expected to be among regional leaders to meet with United States Vice President, the Hon. Joseph Biden in Trinidad and Tobago later this month.
Mr. Biden announced Wednesday that he will visit Trinidad and Tobago during the week of May 26 as part of his travel in the region and said he looks forward to meeting with the Prime Minister of that country, the Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Mr. Biden also said he is eager to meet with other Caribbean leaders, whom Persad-Bissessar has invited to travel to Port of Spain, to discuss inclusive economic growth, development, energy and security cooperation throughout the Caribbean basin.
A release from the White House, forwarded by the US Embassy in Port of Spain, stated that Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, will travel to Brazil, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said in a statement she welcomes the visit of Biden and his wife to Trinidad and Tobago. The Prime Minister confirmed that she had invited regional heads to discuss collective efforts to promote economic growth, energy interdependence and development in the region.
The visit of the US Vice-President follows the visit of Persad-Bissessar to Washington in April during which she discussed with US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns several matters of critical interest to Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) including the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, assistance in the fight against the illegal drug trade and the process of criminal deportations from the US.
In keeping with the decision taken by the Caricom Conference in February in Haiti, Persad-Bissessar, who will assume the chairmanship of Caricom on July 1, also discussed the convening of a Caricom-US Summit.
The visit is seen as part of “the continued strengthening of diplomatic relations between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago”. Late last month, Persad-Bissessar visited Washington, where she held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.
