Stuart meets Auntie Maxine

NATIONAL SECURITY Minister Stuart Young met with members of the US Congress to discuss security within the Caricom region.

Young was accompanied by TT's Ambassador to the US in Washington DC, Brigadier General Anthony Phillips-Spencer and the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Commodore Darryl Daniel. The men met with the Congress representatives over two days of meetings in Washington on Wednesday and Thursday.

The first meeting was with Congresswoman Maxine Waters, chair of the House’s Financial Services Committee, Congressman Eliot Engel, chairman of the House’s Foreign Affairs Committee and other members of this committee, as well as Congressman Bennie Thompson, chair of the House’s Homeland Security Committee. Security issues affecting Caricom, financial matters (derisking and loss of correspondent banking) and disaster preparedness were discussed, according to a media release by the National Security Ministry.

The following day, Young and his entourage met with various arms of the US government at the State Department, "to have high level discussions on the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Act," the release stated. It added that the use of the legislation over the last 10 years, since its conceptualisation and passage, and its continuation when it expires in 2020 were also discussed.

Young was one of the leaders in the meeting, the release said, co-chairing one of the plenary sessions on cyber-crime and countering violent extremism. "Trinidad and Tobago continues to play an important and leading role in Caricom and in representing the region at international levels in many areas, including national and regional security," the release said.