Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs met with His Excellency Peter Cavendish, Ambassador of the European Delegation to Trinidad and Tobago at the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs on Monday 13th February, 2023. The Ambassador was accompanied by His Excellency Didier Chabert, Ambassador of the French Republic to Trinidad and Tobago.
The meeting served to further the bilateral relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the European Union through the advancement of several matters concerning the two parties. Discussions were held on topics ranging from assistance to Trinidad and Tobago to treat with Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism; becoming Compliant on Tax Matters; Addressing Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing; and the Ratification of the Economic Partnership Agreement between Trinidad and Tobago and the European Union.
Ambassador Cavendish reported on a recent visit by a team from the European Union’s Global Facility on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (GF-AML/CFT) and their interactions with the officials from the Office of the Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago. The GF-AML/CFT was established to equip countries with the requisite tools to strengthen capacity to address money laundering and the directing of finance to terrorist organisations. The Minister responded favourably to the offers of training available to prepare the competent authorities in Trinidad and Tobago. Also discussed was Trinidad and Tobago’s strategy towards becoming fully compliant regarding Tax Matters. The parties agreed on the rationality of steps to be taken to have Trinidad and Tobago removed from the European Union’s ‘blacklist’.
Regarding Trinidad and Tobago’s fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) and recent meetings with officials from the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE) in Trinidad and Tobago in December 2022, discussions centred on the country’s specific legislative environment and the work being undertaken by the Government to ensure that exports to the European Union would not be hindered. The Minister underscored the tremendous gains made by the Government through the work of the Joint Select Committee (JSC) on The Fisheries Management (No. 2) Bill, 2020.
Discussions also focused on Trinidad and Tobago’s movement to ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union. In addition to trade in goods, the agreement includes commitments on trade in services, investment, trade-related issues such as competition policy, government procurement and intellectual property rights. Trinidad and Tobago’s relationship with the European Union spans over forty-five years and is anchored by the Cotonou Agreement, which was signed in 2000 by the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the European Union Member States and the European Community. The original agreement was due to expire in 2020 but has been extended until a successor agreement to replace it has been reached. Trinidad and Tobago has initialled the New Cotonou Agreement.
