Piggott:
No US link to our absence at energy talks
Arnold
Piggott Foreign
Affairs Minister of Trinidad
and Tobago
By
Juhel Browne
Trinidad
Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
04 22 07
A
diplomatic note sent from Venezuela that led
to Trinidad and Tobago's non-attendance at an energy
summit in Margarita yesterday had nothing to do
with a US Congressional
delegation visit to this country, says Whitehall.
Foreign Affairs Minister Arnold Piggott received
the Venezuelan diplomatic note on Sunday, the same
day that a delegation comprising six US Congress
members arrived in Trinidad and Tobago for a two-day
visit.
"One thing did not have anything to do with
the other," said the communications manager
for the Office of the Prime Minister, Paige De
Leon.
Of late, the Chavez administration has had strained
relations with the US Government led by President
George W Bush.
Despite its concerns about the PetroCaribe oil
deal between Venezuela and 13 Caribbean Community
(Caricom) member states, the Manning administration
is now seeking to finalise a deal with the Chavez
administration for the unitisation of oil and natural
gas reserve along the maritime borders of both
republics.
Chavez is set to travel to Port of Spain to sign
the framework agreement.
The Express asked Whitehall if the US had expressed
concerns to the Manning administration about its
increased dialogue with Chavez.
"As far as we aware that is not the case," De
Leon said.
Chavez had invited Manning to the two-day Latin
American energy summit which began yesterday when
the two met in Caracas on March 20.
Whitehall
said on Monday, the diplomatic note sent by Caracas
on Sunday indicated that "the
Venezuelan authorities were unable to successfully
finalise appropriate arrangements for the attendance
of Trinidad and Tobago at the energy summit of
heads of state/government to be held in Margarita".
The Bush administration has expressed its concerns
about some of Chavez's policies while he has accused
the US of being behind a failed coup attempt against
him in 2002, an allegation the US has strongly
denied.
The Express asked the US Embassy in Port of Spain
if the Bush administration was concerned about
the increased communication between Trinidad and
Tobago and Venezuela.
"We believe in allowing countries to make
their own decisions about their relationship with
Venezuela, but we have found that the road Chavez
has set Venezuela upon has not had very good results
in the past," said US Embassy public affairs
officer Michelle Jones.
She
said that, for example, Chavez's mass nationalisation
of private sector enterprises has a "long
and inglorious" history of failure in Eastern
Europe and elsewhere.
"We support the Venezuelan people and believe
that the nationalisation process will not be helpful
in attaining the security and prosperity they deserve," Jones
said.
"It's
important to note also that the US is the single
largest investor in Venezuela and
Venezuela is one of the largest foreign investors
in the US energy sector."
- jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad
Express
Thursday,
April 19th 2007
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©2007 Trinidad
Express. All Rights Reserved.
