South Chamber: Energy talks vital

THE South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce viewed yesterday’s energy talks between Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez as crucial to Trinidad and Tobago’s long-term socio-economic interests. Addressing a post-Cabinet news conference on Thursday, the Prime Minister said: “Principally our agenda is an energy agenda.” Among the topics Manning listed for discussion with Chavez at yesterday’s working dinner were the development of Venezuelan natural gas reserves located in close proximity to TT’s maritime border with Venezuela, utilisation of Venezuelan natural gas in TT and an arrangement where TT and Venezuela will supply petroleum products to Caricom. Chamber president Wayne Moze told Newsday these talks were “vitally important to our long-term interests”. Moze recalled that “for years” the South Chamber has been urging closer cooperation between TT and Venezuela in the energy sector and the topics listed by Manning were achievable objectives. He said if  TT was looking at interpreting its natural gas reserves and the question of importing gas, Venezuela with its superior gas reserves offered tremendous possibilities.

Moze added that closer TT-Venezuelan energy ties should be “kept on the front burner” and it was not inconceivable that a cross-border gas pipeline between the two countries could be constructed. The Chamber president dismissed a newspaper report which claimed he was insisting that Manning and Chavez make border security their top priority for discussion. Moze said given the scheduling of yesterday’s talks, he was not disappointed that border security may not be discussed in any great depth. However Moze was optimistic that both countries would continue to combine their efforts to clamp down on the flow of illegal drugs and guns between them.