Venezuelan president to visit Trinidad and Tobago

Nicolas Maduro

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is scheduled to sign new agreements with the twin island republic when he visits in the coming weeks.

Maduro, who was speaking with the International media last week, said he will sign a fresh round of broad- ranging agreements, including pacts on joint exploration of the cross-border Loran-Manatee gas fields and the possible establishment of a water taxi between ports in Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago .

“I expect to visit Trinidad and Tobago soon to sign new agreements worked on beforehand by the foreign affairs minister and the governor of Sucre state, “ said Maduro who is the head of the ruling socialist party Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela (PSUV).

Earlier this month, Maduro during a visit to Russia, said he hopes to strengthen cooperation and development between Russia and Trinidad and Tobago.

Russia and Venezuela are members of the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC) sub-committee that determines its oil production and pricing.

While in Russia, Venezuelan Minister of Oil, Eulogio Del Pino, met with Trinidad and Tobago’s representative Franklin Khan in Moscow to discuss the exploration of natural gas in the offshore Loran-Manatee territory that the two countries border.

The discussions began in 2013 and representatives are confident they will reach agreements on how to explore the area in the coming weeks.