PM rings NASDAQ bell

THIS country's global stocks rose on Friday when Prime Minister Dr Rowley became the first Head of State from a Caribbean country to be invited to ring the bell to start the day's trading at the New York Stock Exchange.

Rowley who is in New York to address the United Nations (UN) General Assembly and TT's Permanent Representative to the UN, Pennelope Beckles, addressed NASDAQ from the podium.

In a brief address, Dr Rowley invited all to visit Trinidad and Tobago as he emphasised that TT is the largest Caribbean trading partner with the United States. He highlighted TT's cultural and industrial strength in the Caribbean and boasted about Trinidad's chocolate as being among the very best in the world.

"Today is a very special day for us and we are particularly proud to have flown on Nasdaq's board the red, white and black of Trinidad and Tobago, the benefit of an economy that serves Trinidad and Tobago and the world and we look forward to having a very close relationship with the United States and the people of the United States," Rowley said.

The prime minister was then joined by other members of the visiting TT delegate as well as staff members of the TT Embassy in the US before Rowley pressed the button which rang the bell to commence the day's trading.