Guardian ( Trinidad and Tobago )
20 June 2023 ( Page 15 )
Young talks energy security in Suriname
...20 manufacturers host trade mission
Minister of Energy Stuart Young yesterday met with Albert
Ramdin, Suriname’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International
Minister of Energy Stuart Young
Business and International Cooperation in Paramaribo to discuss
issues surrounding regional energy security.
Young is currently in Suriname for its energy, oil and gas summit
and exhibition, 2023 which ends on Wednesday.
In a news release yesterday, Young said, “We discussed the
potential of regional integration and in particular the role that we
could play along with other Caricom member states in providing
regional and extra regional energy security.
“We are committed to working along with Guyana and other
regional hydrocarbon-resourced countries to ensure sustainable
energy security for the region.”
Young added that he is looking forward to participating with
Ramdin and Robert Persaud,
Foreign Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International
Cooperation of Guyana in a ministerial roundtable on “Strategic
Regional Cooperation: Challenges and Benefits” to be held today.
In a speech in Miami earlier this month, Young explained that the
T&T Government’s negotiation with the US administration to
persuade it to allow the exploitation of the Dragon field in
Venezuelan waters is an attempt to further regional energy
security.
Young told the Miami conference that he and Prime Minister Dr
Keith Rowley spent significant time and energy last year meeting
with decision makers in Washington DC, negotiating and
advocating for the grant of a waiver from Office of Foreign Assets
Control (OFAC) for T&T to produce the Dragon gas field with Shell
as our partner.
“With the support of other leaders of the Caribbean Community
(Caricom), we pursued the ability to access this gas field as there is
the immediate excess capacity in Trinidad for us to produce
additional LNG, Ammonia and fertiliser products and methanol
once we can produce the gas field, thereby contributing to energy
security in the Caricom and wider region.
“We would be able to provide additional LNG supplies to Caricom
countries and even Europe as it looks for alternatives to Russian
gas.”
Meanwhile, the T&T Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) and
exporTT are also in Suriname to strengthen trade relations.
The TTMA said its trade mission is geared towards determining
business opportunities within the Suriname market for local
companies and establishing and deepening strategic business and
logistical relationships between manufactures and buyers.
It added this is a key project under the Government’s export
booster initiative, which is key in increasing the value of all nonenergy exports over the next three years.
The mission comprised 20 companies from the chemicals, printing
and packaging, food and beverage, garments and construction
sectors including Blue Waters, DSB Lid, Lazuri Apparel Ltd, VF
Packaging Ltd, MIC, Pepe’s Marketing and Christle Ltd among
others.
Photo: Minister of Energy Stuart Young