The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) says that Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar has apologised to the region for comments she has made in the past few weeks on assistance to storm-stricken countries in the region.
CMC said that appearing on a radio programme in Jamaica on Monday night, the leader of the People’s Partnership government said her remarks were “most unfortunate”.
“I do apologise for the statements that have been taken in this regard. I remain committed to regional integration and to our CARICOM (Caribbean Community) brothers and sisters,” she said, according to CMC.
At her first regional heads of government conference, Persad Bissessar said that regional countries should no longer regards Port of Spain as “An ATM card” and last month, she told reporters in her country that Trinidad would provide aid to regional countries affected by Hurricane Tomas once it proved beneficial to it.
CMC said she noted that since the comments were made, her administration has extended assistance to the islands affected and that Haiti would also receive help from Trinidad.
“The way I envisioned it is that, I can only give from my home, I think St. Lucia Prime Minister Stephenson King put it in these words and I appreciate, when he said what Kamla is saying…that we don’t expect her to go out and shop for us and so she would give us goods and supplies out of Trinidad and Tobago, that is what I meant really. It is most unfortunate the way my comments have been received and I do apologise for that,” she was quoted by CMC as saying.
