00:00Well, everything is at a preliminary stage, but, you know, there have been talk about this for Mr. Kafra Kambon, and the committee have been talking about this for decades, you know, and it's time to move talk to action.
00:16There's a new world economic order. There's great interest in uniting the global south, and we believe that Trinidad and Tobago is a natural hub to facilitate the connectivity between Central, South America, the Caribbean, Africa, and even to Asia.
00:42Maharaj pointed to the recent direct flight taken by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from India to Trinidad as proof that a long-discussed idea is both achievable and necessary.
00:55He says discussions have begun with Caribbean Airlines as a possible carrier, though all options remain open.
01:02The vision, according to the minister, is for Port of Spain to become a hub for air travel and trade between Africa and the Caribbean, eliminating long, multi-leg routes and paving the way for more efficient commerce.
01:18The minister also shared a personal moment from his recent trip to Accra, Ghana, highlighting the emotional and historical significance of strengthening ties between the two regions.
01:30I arrived at the airport in Accra, the immigration officer looked at my passport and looked at me and said, that's an Indo-Caribbean person.
01:42And he said, welcome home, sir. I fell 10 feet tall. They're willing to do business with us there, as their brothers and sisters in both regions.
01:56The markets are open. The markets are open. The huge, fastest-growing markets in the world is in Africa. And we have historic ties with Africa.
02:07In addition to transportation and trade, the minister confirmed that Trinidad and Sebago is in advanced talks with African institutions, including the African Export-Import Bank, to support joint investment projects and provide financing.
02:23We already have some investments lined up that we are looking towards them to finance. So we are very sweet-talking them before we even sign an agreement.
02:34Asked about the government's wider diplomatic approach to Africa, Maharaj confirmed that state visits, forums and increased engagement are firmly on the agenda.
02:45Maharaj says the government will continue to pursue connectivity with Africa, both in the air and on the ground.
02:53Talks with Caribbean Airlines and other stakeholders are ongoing.
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