Above: Panama President Ricardo Martinelli and Trinidad PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar during the visit (Photo: OP)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Following her visit to Panama in March, Trinidad Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar held bilateral talks in Panama City with President Ricardo Martinelli.

The March talks resulted in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in the energy sector.

The two leaders had both recently attended this past weekend’s Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, a topic of discussion during the meeting.

The talks also included the upcoming Caribbean Investment Forum 2012, which is slated for May 14 and 15 in Port of Spain. Martinelli has accepted an invitation as the keynote speaker for the conference, where he will also lead a trade delegation from Panama.

Also under discussion were Martinelli’s strategies for bunkering facilities for Trinidad in the Panama Canal on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.

Martinelli reportedly reiterated his desire to purchase propane and butane gas from Trinidad, according to the Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s office.

Martinelli also expressed interest in Trinidad’s selling national petroleum products to policy, along with the possibility of establishing a lubricant blending plant, as well as an LPG bottling facility.

Accordingly, Panama’s Energy Minister will visit Trinidad on April 23.