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  • 8 months ago
Former High Commissioner for Trinidad and Tobago to the United Kingdom, Garvin Nicholas says the new VISA policy did not come overnight.

He says the UK would have raised concerns which were either ignored or not properly addressed.

Nicole M Romany has more in this report.
Transcript
00:00According to Mr. Nicholas, this development was a failure on the part of the Ministry
00:05of Foreign Affairs, the High Commissioner in the UK and the Minister of National Security.
00:12I saw a post by the present Minister of National Security in response to a post made by former
00:20Minister of National Security Gary Griffith. The language that was used, the vile tone
00:28of the response and also the inaccuracies in the response. It's either he is completely
00:37unaware of what is happening or what has happened and his role. I mean he has said so in the
00:42past that his role isn't to prevent citizens from crime or to keep citizens safe. So he
00:48doesn't understand his brief. Nicholas believes the government needs to meet
00:53with the United Kingdom and hear their concerns and seek to address them. He says this is
00:59proper diplomatic relations. However, he took issue with what he says is the Prime Minister
01:05focusing on defending Cubans. We don't have the Prime Minister fighting
01:10for Trinidad and Tobago nationals. He is fighting for Cuban nationals. He is prepared to put
01:17at risk again our international relations with the United States of America, our largest
01:23trading partner. Whether you like them or not, whether you like Mr Trump or not, that
01:28is not the issue, you know. When you are dealing at that level, your personal likes and dislikes
01:38have to be set aside. The former High Commissioner to the UK says
01:43while maintaining this country's sovereignty is important, there is need to be tactful
01:48and mindful. Trinidad and Tobago is a sovereign state.
01:52We understand that. And as a result, we are having serious discussion. Why do you have
02:00the gallery? We are having serious discussion because we need to protect, one, our ability
02:07to make our own decisions. But of course, when you make your own decisions, you do it
02:14in a global context. He notes this country does not have nuclear
02:19power to destroy our enemies. We are small and must remember that. However, he adds,
02:25we do have strength in diplomatic relations that can be utilised.
02:30Nicole M Romany, TV6 News.
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