Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis receives a token from The High Commissioner to Canada Her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds during a recent courtesy call.

Collaborating with Canada for National Development on the agenda

Minister of Planning and Development Camille Robinson-Regis receives a token from The High Commissioner to Canada Her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds during a recent courtesy call. 

The Government of Trinidad and Tobago and the Canadian Government have demonstrated an interest in further collaboration through technical cooperation and support.  Among the different areas of interest shared between Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis and Canadian High Commissioner Carla Hogan Rufelds, preservation of the culture of our indigenous people in the identified areas of Siparia and Arima is one possibility.  Another key area of interest in the economic development of Trinidad and Tobago is Maritime Industry expansion, identified by T&T’s Government as a major area of economic transformation along with the IT sector.  Discussions between the two Governments have been focused on the activities Trinidad and Tobago is currently undertaking in alignment with the country’s National Development Strategy and the mutual benefit for both parties, which are based on their individual strategic areas of development.  Other sectors discussed include information and communication technology, security, governance, culture, transportation systems, environmental and infrastructural development.

Another point of interest is the opportunity to advance our climate change agenda through technical cooperation for reduced carbon emissions. The High Commissioner noted that climate change is also priority for the Prime Minister of Canada, coming out of the Paris Agreement and a main focus for her office.  Similarly, Minister Robinson-Regis underlined her Ministry’s role as the key environmental Ministry and the work done to reduce ozone impacting gases in the A/C and refrigeration sectors as well as Trinidad and Tobago’s progressive attitude and national interest in sustainable technologies such as wind and solar and renewable resources; an area which she hopes Trinidad and Tobago successfully transitions into, as well as our focus on revenue earning sectors that are not oil and gas oriented.

The Minister of Planning and Development received a courtesy call from The High Commissioner to Canada her Excellency Carla Hogan Rufelds on January 13, 2017.

The history of bilateral relations between Trinidad and Tobago and Canada dates back to 1938 These relations were formalized immediately after Trinidad and Tobago became an independent country, with the opening of the High Commission of Canada in Port-of-Spain in 1962.