Venezuelan President Maduro to visit TT next month

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is to visit TT next month.

Maduro's visit will be part of the 34^th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom.

From July 3, PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar will host Maduro, as well as Danilo Medina, President of the Dominican Republic and Teodoro Obiang Nguema, President of Equatorial Guinea.

“President Maduro’s visit is important in the context of the region’s relations with Venezuela--an important player in hemispheric affairs,” said a statement from acting Communications Minister Anil Roberts.

Maduro is to visit on July 6, one day after Venezuela celebrates Independence Day. The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence was signed on July 5, 1811.

Among other dignitaries to attend are fourteen heads of government of Caricom member states and five heads from the associate members, as well as the heads of regional and international organisations.

The Caricom meeting coincides with the 40^th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas. The then Heads of Government of the Independent Commonwealth Caribbean Countries signed the Treaty on July 4^th 1973 at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre. On July 4th, there will be a re-enactment of the signing.

Among the speakers at the opening of the conference on July 3rd is Michel Martelly, President of the Republic of Haiti. The Conference will end with a farewell dinner at the Diplomatic Centre on the evening of July 6.

Persad-Bissessar will host a post-event press conference with Ambassador Irwin LaRoque, Secretary General of CARICOM.