The Minister of Energy and Energy Industries and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart R. Young, met today with Charge d’Affaires Shante Moore and his team of the United States Agency for International Development’s Regional Representative for Eastern and Southern Caribbean (USAID/ESC) at the Waterfront offices of the MEEI.
Charge d’Affairs Moore and the USAID/ESC team expressed the United States Government’s commitment to reestablishing the USAID/ESC presence in Trinidad and Tobago from a strategic, bilateral and regional standpoint. These discussions were part of the USAID 2020-2025 Regional Development Cooperation Strategy.
The parties discussed many topics including the USAID/ESC’s assistance in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic regionally.
Minister Young thanked the team and by extension the United States Government for their role in the COVID-19 response through their involvement in the delivery of COVAX vaccines. USAID/ESC further expressed their commitment to further contribute, to aid in the support of health care workers and the issue of vaccine hesitancy.
Mr. Clinton White, Regional Representative of the USAID/ESC expressed the organisation’s interest in the climate change effort, specifically building the disaster resilience capacity of the region. Minister Young conveyed his support for the initiative and reiterated the specific need for the region’s need to adequately respond to and provide support for those affected by such disasters.
For almost 40 years, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided development assistance to the Caribbean region and sought to advance: “Safer more prosperous Caribbean Communities.” USAID’s work in the ESC region directly supports United States foreign policy priorities, including but not limited to promoting sustainable development growth programmes.
Minister Young thanked the team for their visit and expressed his openness to further discussions on several topics including potential US partnership with Trinidad and Tobago in the area of renewable energy.
– Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries
