Flashback: Prime Minister Patrick Manning
(top) and United States President George
W Bush at the opening ceremony of the
Summit of the Americas at Teatro Auditorium
on November 4, 2005, In Mar del Plata,
Argentina.
Prime
Minister Patrick Manning yesterday blasted
the administration of US President George
W Bush for "studiously ignoring"
the requirements of Trinidad and Tobago
and the Caribbean.
Manning
was speaking before an audience of top
oil and gas executives as well as members
of the diplomatic corps at the Hilton
Trinidad, but when he made the statement,
he did not look in the direction of
a stoic US Ambassador to Trinidad and
Tobago, Dr Roy Austin, who was sitting
in the front row at the BG Trinidad
and Tobago Energy Luncheon Series.
"It
would have been nice if I could have
said today that this is recognised in
the US-we don't know if it is recognised
in Washington at all.
"In
fact, we believe that Washington has
been studiously ignoring the Caribbean
and ignoring the requirements of Trinidad
and Tobago-unfortunately that's what
we feel," Manning said.
Responding
to questions posed by reporters after
Manning's comments, Austin said: "I
would try to get a copy of his speech
and ensure that Washington is aware
of the way he feels, although I think
that we have made that clear to them
already, but a little reminder wouldn't
hurt."
He
added, "We don't really ignore
people, it's a matter, as I just said,
of setting priorities. There are a lot
of things that we are doing around the
world these days, but we consider Trinidad
to be a very important partner."
Manning
was referring to what he said was "the
Third Border Initiative that has been
so eloquently articulated in Washington,
has not gotten off the mark in any significant
way".
"Big
concerns in the Caribbean now with the
expiration of CBI (Caribbean Basin Initiative)
in 2007 -what is going to replace it?
We still do not have a proper trade
arrangement with the US."
Manning
also called on the US government for
help in the fight against the drug trade
(See story on this page).
And
just as the audience, many of them stunned,
was digesting the statement, Manning
slammed the US further, adding: "We
are going to have to decide whether
we wish to place all our eggs in one
basket in the way that we have placed
before.
"Now,
too much of our LNG goes to one destination
and incidentally at prices that are
not by any means the best prices that
are available in the market."
In
light of volatility experienced currently
in many oil and gas producing countries
and shifting policy arrangements across
South America, Manning was unequivocal
in his stance that Trinidad and Tobago
is being taken for granted.
"For
our part, we need access to the US market,
Trinidad and Tobago, providing the energy
security year after year, stable, reliable
supply, something happens elsewhere,
we fill the gap and so on.
"We
believe we are due some consideration
for this and ... what we really want
is preferential access to the US market
in a particular area," he said.
"Trinidad
and Tobago also has developmental needs
and we seek to leverage our energy resources
in the cause of national development.
"We
are asking the US authorities that goods
packaged in Trinidad and Tobago find
duty free access to the US market. We
are not large enough to create any significant
upset in that market, but that such
policy, if espoused by the US, will
not only stimulate development of the
packaging industry in Trinidad and Tobago,
but to the extent that we can have goods
manufactured in Caricom, packaged in
Trinidad and Tobago and exported to
the US... We could also assist in stimulation
of economic activity in Caribbean countries-as
of now ladies and gentlemen we've had
no response to that initiative."
Of
Trinidad and Tobago looking into other
markets, Ambassador Austin said: "I
can't blame the Prime Minister for that
because you know in the US we consider
competition to be a very important part
of any economy and this is all he's
really saying, you can't put all your
eggs in one basket."
Trinidad
Express
Sept 6, 2006
