The Meeting of the High Level Consultative Mechanism between the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was held in Caracas, Venezuela on Monday, 26th October 2015. The Meeting was held under the co-chairmanship of Senator the Honourable Dennis Moses, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Her Excellency Delcy Rodriguez, Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Both Heads of Delegation were supported by the Ministers and high-level representatives from the Ministries with responsibility for Energy, National Security, Defence, Trade and Culture.
The Ministers had an open and frank exchange of views on the status of the negotiations for a series of cooperation initiatives in the areas of energy, trade, security and culture. The high-level encounter resulted in an unsigned Joint Declaration embodying agreements reached for advancing cooperation in strategic areas of mutual benefit with time-bound undertakings among which were:
(i) Energy Cooperation
The agreement to convene a meeting of the Joint Steering Committee on the Unitisation of Cross Border Hydrocarbon Reservoirs from 12th to 13th November 2015 in Trinidad and Tobago to address:
· The Unitization and Unit Operating Agreement (UUOA);
· The structure for the Unit Operator of the Manakin-Cocuina Unit Area;
· Update and re-activation of the Bilateral Oil Spill Contingency Plan; and
· The work of the reconstituted Kapok-Dorado Reservoir Technical Working Group.
The Joint Working Group established pursuant to the Framework Agreement on Energy Sector Cooperation between the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela signed on February 24th, 2015 will meet in January 2016. Issues on the agenda include areas of mutual interest such as the development of a business model for the extraction of gas in the Loran-Manatee Unit Area.
(i) Trade Cooperation
The negotiation of innovative mechanisms and areas for the exchange of manufactured goods from both countries. Trinidad and Tobago expressed its willingness to exchange its manufactured goods for energy products from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In the interim, it was also agreed that other non-energy goods of interest for both Parties could be exchanged. Technical level meetings will be held within thirty (30) days to advance this proposal.
(ii) Security Cooperation
Both sides agreed to negotiate an overarching Memorandum of Understanding on security cooperation to fight against the illegal trafficking of humans, drugs and firearms to enhance security cooperation between the pertinent authorities of both countries and build capacity in technology-drivern approaches as well as in the Spanish language.The Coastguard Commanders will convene a technical meeting in Trinidad and Tobago during the first quarter of year 2016, in order to coordinate and to plan the implementation of the VENTRI naval exercise to fight against transnational organized crime.(iii) Cultural Cooperation
An agreement was achieved inter alia to:
· Organize an exchange of musical instruments and teachers in April 2016. Venezuela shall provide the community music schools of Trinidad and Tobago with training in wind and string instruments. Likewise, Trinidad and Tobago shall provide Venezuela with training in steel pan and other percussion instruments.
· Promote the exchange of soloists, directors, music scores and chamber orchestras between both philharmonic and symphonic orchestras during the second quarter of 2016.
· Ensure the participation of both countries in the main annual cultural exchange events such as the Bocas Literary Festival, Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival, Animae Caribe, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival, Parang Festival and the T&T Music Festival, as well as Venezuela’s International Book Fair, Venezuela’s International Music Fair, the Arts and Textile Fair, Biennial of the South, among others.
The visit by the high-level Trinidad and Tobago team concluded with a courtesy call on H.E. Nicolás Maduro Moros, President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. President Maduro informed the delegation that he looked forward to welcoming Prime Minister, Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley to Venezuela in the near future. He also charged his Ministers to follow up expeditiously on the areas of cooperation identified.
Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs
