Govt hails Bush victory

FOREIGN AFFAIRS Minister Knowlson Gift yesterday said Trinidad and Tobago looked forward to a further strengthening of relations with the United States following the re-election of  George W Bush as president. In particular, the minister was confident that TT could see “further US investment” in several areas of the local economy during the second Bush administration. Gift told Newsday that like the rest of the world, Caricom and TT watched the nail-biting race for  the White House between Bush and Senator John Kerry.

The minister said TT has shared a long-standing history of good relations with the US and he was confident that TT-US relations would be strengthened by Bush’s re-election. Gift added that Prime Minister Patrick Manning will personally communicate with Bush when he returns to TT today.  Manning held talks with Bush in December 2003 in Washington DC on a wide range of issues from energy matters to regional security.  Bush sought Manning’s help to address regional hotspots such as Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. Earlier in the day, Gift held private discussions with US Ambassador to TT, Dr Roy Austin, about Bush’s election victory.