Persad-Bissessar cements ties with Brazil, LatAm

Trinidad and Tobago yesterday unveiled a plaque for the construction of an embassy in Brazil as part of the initiatives to strengthen trading and diplomatic relations with the country and Latin America.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, speaking at the unveiling ceremony, said that given the fact that international economic think-tanks are now citing Brazil as the preferred choice of investors, even over China, "we see Brazil not only as the ideal Latin connection, but a meeting place for the great trading blocs of the world to whom there will be exposure.

"In this regard, we are strongly of the view that Trinidad and Tobago must buttress and deepen its relations with Latin America since this region represents the new frontier for us.

"As we seek to expand our markets for manufactured goods, as we export services - particularly in oil and gas, as we adopt new technologies whether in agriculture or ICT, as we seek new investments and as we cement our place in the hemisphere, our relations will Brazil will be important," she said.

The prime minister, who is leading a 40-member public and private-sector delegation to the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Brazil, said it is no secret that Brazil is the seventh-largest economy and the fifth most populous nation, making it the largest market in the Latin American and Caribbean region.