TRINIDAD and Tobago is “hot” right now and reaping the benefits of strengthened diplomacy with its international partners, including the United States, says Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Sean Sobers.“I have never seen such international engagement with Trinidad and Tobago within the last decade; this is the new form of diplomacy that we are building upon,” Sobers said in response to questions from the Express yesterday.The minister said the official visit of United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau on Monday augurs well for T&T, and demonstrates the seriousness with which the US views its partnership with this country.“Since the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar became Prime Minister, relations with the US has never been this charged and it is at its highest it has ever been in the history of our two countries,” he said.Sobers said there had been talk for decades about diversifying the economy, but little meaningful movement in that direction.He said diversification was not achieved through investment alone, but also required innovative strategies and engagement with more advanced economies.The minister said since the Persad-Bissessar Government assumed office, there had been engagement with the US government at the highest levels, including US President Donald Trump inviting Persad-Bissessar to the Shield of the Americas Summit.He said there had also been engagement with several members of the US Cabi­net, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as officials responsible for trade, commerce, energy and agriculture.“Trinidad and Tobago is hot right now and this will continue through diplomacy and through the leadership of the Prime Minister who has told the world that T&T is open for business,” he said.Sobers said there had been consistent steps towards strengthening ties and friendship between the US and T&T, with this country now seeing high-level visits aimed at following up on and implementing agreements.“In the past there have been MoUs signed and there was no follow-up, no action thereafter. What you had yesterday (Monday) was the Deputy Secretary coming to follow up on some issues that we had already signed upon which would have been the AI components for the data centres from a ­couple weeks ago.“He also came to engineer new business opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.Sobers also pointed to recent engagement with the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) about three weeks ago, when a number of projects were discussed with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Caribbean Affairs and Haiti Barbara ­Feinstein.“So the ball just keeps rolling, the dominoes keep falling in favour of symbiotic relationship with respect to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the US spanning several different spheres,” he said.Sobers also noted the high-level visit last week by Japan’s Foreign Minister, during which a number of opportunities for cooperation between the two countries were discussed.Manakin-Coucina‘significant achievement’The minister also pointed to developments surrounding the Manakin-Cocuina gas field as another significant achievement. Manakin-Cocuina is a cross-border field located about 68 miles off Trinidad’s south-east coast and extends across the maritime delimitation line between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela.Cocuina is within Plataforma Deltana Block 4 in Venezuelan-controlled waters, while Manakin is located in Trinidad and Tobago’s Block 5(b).Sobers recalled that in February 2015, the governments of Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela signed a Unitisation Agreement for the Exploitation and Development of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs of the Manakin-Cocuina Field.The agreement established the framework for the exploitation and development of the cross-border hydrocarbon reservoirs as a single unit.Under the agreement, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago agreed to develop the cross-border field as a single unit, with the reserves split 66% for Manakin and 34% for Cocuina.Sobers said the execution of the agreement between bpTT and the National Gas Company (NGC) was unprecedented, representing the first time in the western hemisphere that there had been agreement for the development of an entire unitised cross-border field.He said the development had again placed Trinidad and Tobago on the global energy map.According to Sobers, Manakin-Cocuina holds reserves of approximately one trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas.He said it had been agreed that 25% of the gas would go to the domestic market, while 75% would be supplied to Atlantic LNG.Sobers said NGC’s investment would help ensure the company continues to guarantee gas supplies to downstream petrochemical producers, power producers, light industrial customers and Atlantic LNG, while also encouraging new investment in the country.He said NGC’s acquisition of a 20% interest in the Manakin side of the cross-border development represented a significant step towards guaranteeing Trinidad and Tobago’s future energy security.Sobers said what the previous administration was unable to accomplish in ten years, the Persad-Bissessar administration had completed in just over a year.The minister also hailed the signing of Heads of Terms with representatives of Pinnacle Steel & Vanadium Corporation, Ibis Steel Company of Trinidad & Tobago Lt, TT Iron & Steel Company Ltd and Plipdeco.He said the signing marked an important step towards establishing the framework within which the parties would work towards the rehabilitation of the Point Lisas steel plant and negotiate the arrangements necessary for its future ­operation.—Anna Ramdass