Gift woos US president’s brother on FTAA headquarters

A DELEGATION led by Foreign Affairs Minister Knowlson Gift meets today with Governor of the State of Florida Jeb Bush (who is brother of US president George W Bush), on the merits of having the headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) based in Port-of-Spain. This country’s capital is one of the major contenders vying for the opportunity to host the FTAA Secretariat. A media release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the team “plans to persuade Governor Bush of Port-of-Spain’s suitability as the natural home of the FTAA, since TT is a diverse society with a thriving economy, stable democracy and highly skilled and talented workforce.”

The team “will also place on the table the need for a more equitable balance in the location of hemispheric institutions, which in turn can contribute to the economic development of the Caribbean subregion, the primary objective of the FTAA.” The issue of security is also high on the delegation’s agenda since the US has been plagued by terrorist threats. The Ministry said TT offers a level of security that Miami is unable to provide. The meeting with Governor Bush is one of several trips organised by the Ministry to boost support for Port-of-Spain’s bid to host the FTAA headquarters. The TT team includes Her Excellency Marina Valere Ambassador to the US, Dr Harold Robertson, Consul General, Miami, Dr Luis Alberto Rodriguez, executive director of the Inter-American Development Bank and Rhonda Henry-Ramos, the FTAA bid coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.