New
T&T ambassador to Venezuela to focus on border
reserves
The Trinidad Guardian
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
10 29 06
T&T’s
newly-appointed Ambassador to Venezuela, Razia Ali,
has said her main priority will be conclusion of
an umbrella agreement with Caracas, to cover the
cross-border reserves.
Ali
was yesterday issued with her instrument of appointment
from Foreign Minister Arnold Piggott and will also
be accredited to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and
Peru.
She
replaces Ambassador Sheelagh de Osuna, who has retired
from the Foreign Service.
Ali
said she was informed that she needed to concentrate
on finalising an agreement between this country
and its closest neighbour for the joint exploitation
of their vast natural gas fields.
She
said: “I have been told that the umbrella
agreement is close to being ready and that there
are only a few minor things to iron out. I was told
that the hope from both sides is to have it ready
within the next three months, but there is an intervening
election which may distract from the schedule.”
Venezuelans
go to the polls to elect a new President on December
3 but the incumbent, Hugo Chavez, seems set to return,
according to opinion polls.
Both
countries have been negotiating a cross-border agreement
for more than two years and it was recently announced
that an agreement was close at hand.
Ali
said another priority for her is in national security,
since she is also accredited to Colombia.
A
career diplomat for the last 27 years, this is the
first time Ali will be head of mission.
She
said that with T&T sitting between the cocaine
producers and consumers it presented a peculiar
security challenge.
Ali
added that the fishery agreement between Venezuela
and T&T would expire at the end of the month
and, while there is an agreement to roll it over
for another year, it will eventually have to be
renegotiated.
A
lawyer, Ali speaks French, has a working knowledge
of German and is functional in Spanish.
Ali
said she expected to become fluent in Spanish in
a short time, since she will be immersed in the
language.
The Trinidad Guardian
Saturday 28th October, 2006
Copyright
©2006 Trinidad Guardian. All Rights Reserved.
