T&T, Guyana sign energy MOU
Written by Demerara Waves, Saturday, 02 March 2013 08:12, Source
(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN).-Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine and his Guyanese counterpart Robert Persaud yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding to promote greater cooperation in energy and energy related matters. The signing took place following the official opening ceremony for the Ministerial Session of the CARICOM’s 41st Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (Coted) on Energy, which has been taking place this week at the Hyatt Regency.
Persaud, Guyana’s Natural Resources and Environment Minister, is one of several Ministers of Energy from Caricom member states attending the meeting. He and Minister Ramnarine took the opportunity to deepen and strengthen energy ties between both countries by signing the memorandum document. “We are very happy that Minister Ramnarine and his team moved so quickly to make this agreement happen,” said Persaud.
“We especially look forward to receiving technical expertise and assistance from T&T in energy related matters.” The first draft of a Memorandum of Cooperation between T&T and Guyana was prepared in January. Following negotiations over the past few weeks, the title of the agreement was adjusted to reflect a wider range of areas of cooperation to be explored. “We were able to make all of this happen within roughly a month,” Ramnarine said.
The Memorandum of Understanding will be in force for two years, with options to renew through mutual agreement, or terminate through diplomatic channels. Both parties will meet annually to review the status of the cooperation executed under the MOU.
The forms of cooperation to be undertaken through the MOU include: _Support for off-shore exploration activities, and sourcing of equipment for the development of energy and energy-related projects _ Coordinating and implementing projects and activities related to renewable energy which may include hydroelectric power, solar, wind, tidal, wave, geo- thermal and biomass energy and biofuels _ Strengthening of public sector institutions involved in energy and energy-related projects, and organising joint conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, training sessions and other educations programmes.