Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, has accusing the Opposition of creating “fake news” and misleading the public with regard to the hiring of a Washington lobbyist and lobbying firm to represent his country’s interest in the United States.
In a letter to the editor of the Trinidad Express, Rowley said the Opposition should instead join with the Government and focus on improving and expanding our relationship “with our most important trading and national security partner, the United States.”
“There is nothing unusual about Trinidad and Tobago engaging a Washington lobbyist as we’ve done so as a country for decades. Governments all over the world hire lobbyists to complement and represent their interests within the United States, notwithstanding the presence of an Embassy and Ambassador within Washington. Countries such as India, Mexico, Japan, Saudi Arabia and China all have US representation. Sophisticated nations invest in their relationships with their largest trading partners, and the United States is by far our largest import and export partner. Equally important, there are over 230,000 Trinbagonians, along with their families, living all over the United States. Our lobbyists ensure that our country, and in turn our people, have a voice and presence in the United States government,” said Rowley.
“Our lobbying representatives in Washington, theGROUP DC and its Managing Partner Art Collins who had more than 30 years experience in advising in representing foreign, state and local governments before other governmental entities,, are experts in public policy and government relations,” he added.
Collins is a member of the Board of Trustees of The Brookings Institute, as well as a member of the Board of a Trustees for Meridian International, a non-profit, global leadership organization.
