PM:
No haste on PetroCaribe
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
01 13 08
Prime
Minister Patrick Manning says T&T will
not be making any hasty moves to sign Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez’ PetroCaribe agreement.
He made the statement following a tour of the
five-star Hyatt Regency hotel and conference centre
at Dock Road, off Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain
last Monday.
The Hyatt Regency is billed as the first of its
kind in the Caribbean.
“Venezuela’s output far outweighs
T&T and this country will not enter into any
agreement which will compromise its position as
an oil producing nation.”
Manning
was reacting to a a statement by Chavez at the
conclusion of the recent Fourth PetroCaribe
Summit in Cuba, that he would welcome a deeper
involvement by T&T in PetroCaribe.
Chavez’ comment was itself a reaction to
a call by Antiguan Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer
for a role to be found for T&T in PetroCaribe.
During
a speech at the conference, Spencer insisted
that a role in PetroCaribe should be found for
T&T because of this country’s vital contribution
to Caricom member states and the work of the Caricom
Energy Task Force
However,
Manning said T&T and Venezuela are
still in discussion about the PetroCaribe agreement.
“Venezuela has been able to give the assurance
to the Caribbean that it can supply the region
with energy for the long term because of the country’s
large production scale,” added Manning.
Despite
the development, he gave the assurance the country’s
economy would continue to be built around oil
and natural gas.
He said there had been much misinformation about
the agreement. He even made reference to the Scott
Ryder Hydrocarbon report which noted gas would
run out by 2019.
“To much unfair comments...inform yourselves
properly,” he told reporters.
Manning also said government may need to review
unemployment laws for a greater movement
Story
by Michelle Loubon from The Trinidad
Guardian
The
Trinidad Guardian
Monday
7th January, 2008
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