Last Updated on Saturday, 11 April 2026, 5:30 by Writer
President Irfaan Ali and Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday agreed to establish a working group to remove bottlenecks and take advantages of opportunities between the two countries, according to a government statement.
The Trinidad and Tobago government also announced that Ms Persad-Bissessar would pay an official visit to Guyana.
No date or time frame was stated.
“It was also agreed that the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago would pay an official visit to Guyana, and a working group would be established that would include the private sector of both countries in addressing the development challenges and opportunities between the two countries,” the Trinidad and Tobago government said.
The two leaders agreed on a development, trade, and economic agenda that would see the enhancement of their bilateral relationship and greater integration of the people and economies of both countries.
Among the areas discussed by Dr Ali and Ms Persad-Bissessar during his one-day visit there were food security, inclusive of investment opportunities, energy integration, technology exchange, transfer of human capital development, strengthening security, and the establishment of a working group to remove barriers to trade and competitiveness between the two countries.
President Ali reportedly thanked the Prime Minister for her strong support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and expressed appreciation on behalf of the people of Guyana.
It was also agreed that both governments would continue to collaborate closely on the areas discussed in order to deepen their bilateral relationship, according to the statement.
President Ali was accompanied by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally and Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning, Keoma Griffith, along with other members of his delegation and private sector representatives.
The Prime Minister was joined by Attorney General, John Jeremie, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Sean Sober, Minister of Public Utilities, Barry Padarath, and Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Roodal Moonilal.
Meanwhile, Trinidad’s CNC3 TV reported that President Ali told the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry & Commerce business meeting that the leaders of both countries to iron out bureaucratic issues which were currently hindrances to such a partnership.
“If we care about partnership, if we care about building consortiums. We care about building a joint economic front between Guyana & Trinidad and Tobago then we must care about fixing the problem and let’s get in that room, lock ourselves up for 72 hours and fix the damn problem,” said Ali, who also stressed there were prospects outside of energy where both countries could develop through partnership pointing to Guyana’s export of soya beans and T&T’s famous cocoa plant,” he said.
While he praised the ANSA McAL group for leading the way through its investments in the South American state, including its development of a shopping mall, he lamented that there was no T&T consortium that had taken the opportunity to invest in Guyanese gold.
The Guyanese President was also critical of the lengthy process to go through immigration in T&T as he suggested this bureaucracy also held back Caribbean Airlines from its full potential.
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