00:00The summit brings together regional leaders and the United States to strengthen cooperation on security, intelligence sharing and border protection,
00:10particularly in tackling transnational crime across the Americas.
00:14Political analyst Dr Mukesh Bazdeo tells the Morning Edition the Prime Minister's close collaboration with the U.S. could assist
00:23this country in confronting its crime challenges, particularly the floor of illegal firearms, drug trafficking networks and gang activity that
00:32continue to fuel violence locally.
00:35Trinidad and Tobago may have, I think, I won't say may, but have lacked what you call the means to
00:40actually secure the borders and actually deal with narco trafficking.
00:44Her decision to actually link Trinidad's foreign policy with the U.S. foreign policy, but primarily with regard to the
00:53internal security issues affecting Trinidad and Tobago.
00:56And that is also coincide where we look at, Marlon, we look at the state of national arms, the state
01:02of security issues that has affected Trinidad and Tobago.
01:05He also addresses concerns from some quarters that this country could find itself diplomatically isolated if political leadership in the
01:14U.S. changes in the future, especially amid already delicate relations with some CARICOM partners.
01:20However, Dr. Bazdeo says, while the move carries some risk, it could also yield important strategic benefits for the country.
01:30So, yes, it is a political gambling in that context, but we are talking about the benefits that we talk
01:38about, the short-term and the annual, medium-term benefits that could actually accrue to Trinidad and Tobago.
01:45And also, these other countries have joined on to the shield of America's policy.
01:50So, we had to look at it in that context, but, yes, we cannot say, we cannot deny the fact
01:55that a future U.S. administration may decide to change its policy as it relates to what currently exists.
02:02The political analyst further notes that while tensions in the Middle East have raised affairs globally, there is no indication
02:10that the region would be drawn into a wider international conflict.
02:14From, let's say, the conflict zone itself, so in that context, we can say that that position of, let's say,
02:21the fear of what does transpire with regard to the attack on the Gulf states, whether we can see such
02:27attacks in this part, I can't say in this context that such an incident can occur in the Caribbean or
02:37in the Western Hemisphere itself.
02:40Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
Comments