US vice president scheduled to visit Trinidad to meet CARICOM leaders

United States Vice President Joe Biden is due here at the end of May, the US Embassy has confirmed. It gave no details on the proposed visit, but one local television station quoted Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran as saying that the visit is aimed at improving relations and cooperation with Trinidad and Tobago and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar shrugged off reports that relations between Washington and Port of Spain had deteriorated telling a public meeting of her United National Congress (UNC) that “Trinidad and Tobago and United States are true friends. Tell them our relations with the US are strong.”

But Washington has maintained a stony silence on requests from the government here on whether or not former national security minister Austin “Jack” Warner is under investigation in the United States regarding his activities as an international football executive.

The US Embassy had also issued a statement regarding the non-extradition of two businessmen, Ish Galbaransingh and Steve Ferguson wanted in the United States on fraud charges relating to the Piarco International Airport development project.

Late last month, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar visited Washington where she held talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

 

(CMC)

 

 

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Date Posted

May 09 2013