PM meets with US rep to the UN

The Prime Minister yesterday met with the US representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Jonathan Cohen, during a bilateral meeting between countries to discuss the unfurling political crisis in Venezuela.

Rowley’s meeting with the US representative followed a full day of meetings as part of a greater Caricom delegation that met on Monday with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

A release from the Office of the Prime Minister said Rowley, on behalf of TT and as part of Caricom, outlined concerns about the volatility in Venezuelan and the “existential threat” it poses to the stability of the region.

The release said TT “emphasized” the need for meaningful dialogue between all parties and reaffirmed a commitment to working through Caricom and with all external partners within and outside of the region.

The Prime Minister also said TT is “committed to the common objective of improving the conditions of the Venezuelan people whilst ensuring the preservation of the region as a Zone of Peace.”

As part of the Caricom delegation, headed by St Kitts and Nevis PM Dr Timothy Harris, and including Barbados PM Mia Mottley, Rowley earlier in the day met with the president of the UN María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés in New York.

The delegation also met with permanent representatives to the UN from South Africa, Uruguay, Brazil, Australia and Nicaragua.

Rowley and Foreign Affairs Minister Dennis Moses, who accompanied him, are set to return home today.