00:00The same UNC were grilling us in the PNM and asking how many times I traveled to Venezuela
00:07and the same Munilal making a lot of noise and fanfare about me going there 13 times.
00:12Well, let us see what they do now.
00:14Opposition MP and former Prime Minister Stuart Young speaking during the opposition's media conference on Wednesday
00:20as he made reference to Energy Minister Dr. Rudal Munilal's declaration of the revival of the deal
00:25for the supply of natural gas from Venezuela's jargon field to Trinidad and Tobago.
00:30This followed a bilateral meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio
00:35and Prime Minister Kamlo Passat-Besessa in Washington on Tuesday.
00:39And if Munilal doesn't know it, the Vice President of Venezuela is also the Minister of Energy in Venezuela now
00:48and the person in charge of these resources and her name is Delcy Rodriguez.
00:55Following the bilateral meeting between Secretary Rubio and Prime Minister Passat-Besessa on Tuesday,
01:01the U.S. State Department said that, quote,
01:03the Secretary acknowledged the importance of energy security to Trinidad and Tobago's economic prosperity and regional stability.
01:11He outlined U.S. support for the government's drag and gas proposal
01:14and steps to ensure it will not provide significant benefit to the Maduro regime, end quote.
01:21And smiling at the irony of what we're dealing with here today.
01:28Because to take your minds immediately back to the President's House,
01:32just a few months ago, after the swearing-in of a cabinet,
01:36and none other than the Honorable Prime Minister announcing to the world at large,
01:42Dragan was dead with glee.
01:43Dragan is dead and that they would pursue gas in Grenada, Guyana and Suriname.
01:50And that is where they would be.
01:52We find ourselves right back here today.
01:55M.P. Young said the Dragan gas field is completely within the maritime borders of Venezuela.
02:00The Dragan gas field is completely owned by the people of Venezuela.
02:07And it is the PNM government that negotiated through very difficult and trying times
02:13and managed in December 2023, after many years,
02:18to obtain a 30-year exploration, production and export of gas license
02:24from the Dragan field to Trinidad and Tobago waters.
02:28Shortly before the 2025 general election on April 8th,
02:32the then-Prime Minister Young said that the Office of Foreign Assets Control
02:36had revoked OFAC licenses approved by the previous administration in the U.S.
02:42led by former President Joe Biden.
02:44The licenses were revoked under the U.S. administration being led by President Donald Trump.
02:50Shortly after, then-Prime Minister Young met with Secretary Rubio in Jamaica on March 26th.
02:56M.P. Young referred to a phone call on April 18th.
03:00Secretary of State Rubio had a conversation with me as Prime Minister later on in April
03:06where he made it abundantly clear.
03:09And he put out a release, and you should go back to the same release he put out,
03:13saying that he will work with us on our energy security and our energy deals.
03:17And in the world of diplomacy and diplomatic language, that is what we were talking about.
03:22On September 30th, the government announced that Prime Minister Passat-Busasa secured
03:27the U.S. Secretary of State's support for the development of Trinidad and Tobago's
03:32hydrocarbon cross-border resources.
03:34You now have to go through applying to OFAC and waiting on the terms of the license from OFAC.
03:41And it is only then you will know what is the landscape and playing field
03:44that you can now go to Venezuela and attempt to negotiate.
03:47MP Young said, quote, anything that will progress Trinidad and Tobago in the right direction
03:52is something that the PNM will obviously be happy about and encourage, end quote.
03:58Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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