The Prime Minister met with the highest ranking military officer of the United States today.
Official statements following the meeting said they reaffirmed the commitment of this country and the U.S. to continue to work together to ensure that the harmful effects of Narco trafficking, human trafficking & transnational crime are eradicated.
This, as the Prime Minister ensured the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff got his first taste of a popular local street food.
00:00There was no mention of Venezuela in the official statements issued after the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, General Dan Cain, met with Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Besessa at the Diplomatic Center in St. Anne's.
00:14Prime Minister Passat-Besessa said on the social media platform X that she had an excellent meeting with General Cain.
00:21The visit by the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military occurred as the U.S. now has a major military presence in the Caribbean.
00:30General Cain's visit also occurred following the visit of the U.S. guided missile destroyer USS Gravely to Trinidad and Tobago last month
00:38and the two recent joint military exercises between the U.S. 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force.
00:46These recent developments have been criticized by the government of Venezuela led by President Nicolas Maduro
00:52who are accusing the U.S. of planning regime change in Venezuela.
00:58This was not addressed in the statements by either party after today's talks in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:04President Donald Trump has always insisted the U.S. is fighting a war against drug cartels.
01:11In a statement accompanied by video, the Office of the Prime Minister said that during the meeting with General Cain,
01:17the Prime Minister reaffirmed Trinidad and Tobago's strong relationship with the United States as a global ally
01:23on the key priorities of regional security and stability.
01:27The OPM said Prime Minister Passat-Besessa expressed her government's continued commitment to working to ensure
01:32that the harmful effects of narco-trafficking, human trafficking and transnational crime
01:37were eradicated for the benefit of Trinidad and Tobago's citizens, the country and the region.
01:43The U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain and the Joint Chief's website said
01:46General Cain and Prime Minister Passat-Besessa exchanged views on such challenges affecting the Caribbean region.
01:53The Prime Minister's delegation included Attorney General John Jeremy, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander,
01:58Defense Minister Wayne Sturge and Public Utilities Minister Barry Padrath,
02:02who is also a minister in the office of the Prime Minister.
02:05The official U.S. statement said General Cain expressed appreciation for Trinidad and Tobago's continued leadership
02:10and partnership in advancing mutual objectives and reaffirmed that the United States remains committed
02:16to working closely with Trinidad and Tobago to address shared threats and deepen collaboration across the Caribbean.
02:23The OPM said members of the TNT delegation welcomed General Cain's acknowledgement and appreciation.
02:28However, the meeting between the United States' highest-ranking military officer
02:32and the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago was not all business.
02:35On ex-Prime Minister Passat-Besessa said when the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff
02:39said he'd heard about Trinidad and Tobago's famous doubles,
02:43she happily made sure he got to enjoy the taste for himself during his visit on Tuesday.
02:49Following his departure from Trinidad and Tobago,
02:51the Joint Chiefs' Facebook page said on Tuesday that
02:54General Cain was aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie
02:59and met with U.S. servicemen in the Caribbean Sea
03:01to thank them for their professionalism and continued outstanding service
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