Latin
opposition to T&T bid for FTAA, says Warner
By Juhel Browne
Trinidad Express
Caracas
Petroleumworldtt.com
05 06 07
Trinidad and Tobago found itself uninvited to
an energy summit in Margarita, Venezuela, because
of issues surrounding the Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA), says United National Congress
deputy political leader Jack Warner.
He said many of the Latin American countries that
were participating in the energy summit that Prime
Minister Patrick Manning had been invited to by
Venezuela President Hugo Chavez are members of
Mecosur, which is the Common Market of the southern
Latin American trade organisation.
"And that body, Mercosur, are all opposed
to this country's bid for the FTAA seat. So he
(Manning) couldn't go. Tell them the truth. Even
when they lie, they don't lie well," Warner
said.
He made the assertion while delivering an address
at the UNC's Talk Back Forum on Monday night in
Aranjuez, which also commemorated the party's 19th
anniversary. Manning had been invited to attend
the Latin American energy summit which took place
on April 16 and 17 by Chavez, when the two met
in Caracas on March 20.
On
April 15, Foreign Affairs Minister Arnold Piggott
received a diplomatic note from his counterpart
in Venezuela, informing him that the appropriate
arrangements for Trinidad and Tobago's attendance
at the summit could not be "successfully finalised".
The Manning administration has maintained this
was no reflection of any change in its relationship
with the Chavez administration, as they continue
to work out the details of a framework agreement
for the unitisation of energy reserves along the
maritime borders of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.
However, Warner said Manning's non-attendance
to the energy summit was an example of the Government's
failure in every area of management.
"They can't even manage a trip to Venezuela
to meet some Foreign Ministers and so on. One day
the Foreign Minister says it is the most important
meeting ever and that the Prime Minister is invited.
The following day the Prime Minister in uninvited
and he is saying it wasn't important," Warner
said.
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, May 2nd 2007
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©2007 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
