00:00While the first round of engagement with Caribbean leaders lasted no longer than 15 minutes,
00:06regional leaders felt encouraged that Washington was willing to listen to their concerns.
00:12Rubio also met with the CARICOM leaders in a joint U.S.-Caribbean closed-door meeting
00:17following the brief encounter.
00:20In addition, he also held bilateral talks with the leaders of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Haiti.
00:28The CARICOM leaders said they were encouraged by the statements made by the visiting senior Donald Trump administration official,
00:37with Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Brown saying,
00:41though he made a brief statement, he would describe it as very encouraging.
00:46At one point, you know, we were very concerned precisely what the message would have been,
00:51but I have to say it's a very positive message in terms of helping to secure the future of Caribbean
00:57countries
00:58to work closely with the various Caribbean countries, recognizing the fact that we are linked by geography,
01:04we are linked by our people.
01:07The Caribbean has its largest diaspora in the United States, and we are also linked by our common humanity.
01:13And I sense that the statement that he made, though brief, would have signaled a level of commitment
01:19to enhance the relationship between the United States and CARICOM.
01:24So that is certainly very encouraging.
01:27Dominique's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerritt, said he too was encouraged by the brief encounter
01:33the leaders had with Rubio and was looking forward to the further engagements.
01:38So we look forward to that in the afternoon.
01:42I mean, first of all, we appreciate his visit.
01:44It's important that the dialogue can continue, the number of hot topic issues that we'll have to discuss
01:51and address and find mutual approaches to them.
01:56So we look forward to this afternoon.
01:59But I think it is important that we note the positive aspect of his presence in the Caribbean.
02:06Prime Minister Kamala Passat-Bissessa, who held bilateral talks with Rubio,
02:11later told reporters that Port of Spain had been invited to a meeting of Latin American leaders
02:17to be held in Miami on March 7th.
02:20She said also that the meeting with Rubio was a follow-up on some earlier discussions
02:26on cooperation in energy and security.
02:30We discussed the reopening of the Trinidad Refinery.
02:33As you know, we have been very serious about getting that refinery reopened.
02:39And the secretary agreed that he would put us on to their Department of Energy,
02:45to assist us in seeking to find the best partner to open that refinery.
02:50We've had several persons so far with expressions of interest.
02:53Of course, at the end of the day, we choose the best that we think that we can get.
02:57So, I know my Minister of Energy had met with Hernando, and I met one of them here today.
03:04So we will do a bilateral with them later this afternoon.
03:10The African Bank also wants to have a bilateral with us, which we shall also do this afternoon.
03:14And several of the CARICOM states have asked for one-on-one bilaterals with Hernando and Tobago.
03:19She said the discussions with Rubio was very brisk and very articulate.
03:25He was just speaking off the top of his head.
03:27So he's very familiar with issues in the region, and he could have spoken there.
03:32There will be a closed-door meeting, as I say, from 2.30, only heads on one.
03:37The meeting that he addressed today was very generic with several persons.
03:43So I suspect at that time, some more details will be discussed the way forward for the CARICOM.
03:49Today with him, we talked about Haiti.
03:51We talked about Cuba, of course.
03:53We talked about engagements with Venezuela and the way forward.
03:57And he committed that on the 7th, when we meet President Trump,
04:01more details will be shared on several of the things that I raised with him today.
04:05Mr. Trinidad and Tobago's Foreign Affairs Minister, Sean Sobers,
04:09said Trinidad and Tobago remains confident that the close relationship with Washington
04:14will be much more fruitful in the future.
04:17The government submitted abundantly clear yesterday.
04:20We are all here as elected members of Parliament, democratically elected.
04:27And it is really hypocritical to call ourselves so elected
04:33and then support a system that proffers or holds up dictatorship.
04:40And so we stand with the people of Cuba, but we call for free and fair elections.
04:46Peter Richards reporting for CCN TV6 from Senkits.
04:50Peter Richards reporting for CCN TV6 from Senkits.
04:50Peter Richards reporting for CCN TV6 from Senkits.
04:51Peter Richards reporting for CCN TV6 from Senkits.
04:51Peter Richards reporting for CCN TV6 from Senkits.
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