PM Manning: All’s well with Uncle Sam

PRIME MINISTER Patrick Manning dismissed reports of bad blood between Trinidad and Tobago and the United States and declared that all is well between the two nations. Speaking with reporters following his arrival at Piarco International Airport yesterday, the Prime Minister said there was no truth to reports that US Secretary of State Colin Powell and US National Security Adviser would be giving him the cold shoulder when he arrives in Washington DC tomorrow to begin a series of high level talks with top level US Government officials.

“Poor souls misinformed again. In the case of Colin Powell, the jury is still out and there were some problems scheduling Condoleeza Rice. The meeting is scheduled for 2 o’clock on Monday and that is why I leave so early on Monday morning,” Manning said. The Prime Minister also did not believe the two countries’ differing positions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) will impact negatively on those talks.  Former President Arthur NR Robinson was one of the ICC’s principal architects. The US believes that the Court could be biased in its rulings especially against American military personnel serving overseas in peacekeeping missions.

“TT has been ensuring that we had good relations with the government of the United States of America. I don’t think that is an issue at all. The government of TT has made its position clear. We were involved in this matter from the inception and on that issue we have no choice. We have no quarrel with anybody but we just have no choice,” he stated. Manning revealed that he held fruitful discussions with Repsol YPF CEO Alfonso Cortina in Spain and an agreement has been signed with Repsol which will be made “public over the next few days.” The Prime Minister said Repsol will assist Government with “some aspects of the University of TT” and in the areas of technical assistance and technological research. He reminded reporters that Repsol has significant shareholding in bptt and Atlantic LNG and “controls the LNG market in Spain a part of which TT has access to.”