Sunday, February 4, 2007
A 27-member trade mission from Nova Scotia, Canada arrived in Trinidad and Tobago yesterday to pursue business and investment opportunities. The mission coincides with the Petroleum Conference which takes place from today at the Trinidad Hilton and Conference Centre.
The mission is led by Nova Scotia Minister of Energy Bill Dooks and includes staff of the Department of Energy; Pat Ryan, Vice President of Nova Scotia Business Inc (NSBI); and the Offshore/Onshore Technologies Association of Nova Scotia (OTANS). This fully subscribed trade mission also includes representatives of businesses ranging from information and communications technology, manufacturing, education and training, and the professional services sectors, along with key representatives from trade team Nova Scotia. Over the last 12 months, there have been three significant trade missions from Nova Scotia to Trinidad and Tobago. In February 2006, Nova Scotia Energy led a trade mission to the annual Petroleum Conference in Port-of-Spain. In April 2006 Nova Scotia Business Inc, (NSBI) led a successful 15-member trade delegation to Trinidad and Tobago. Finally, in October 2006 a 26- member team, the Atlantic Environment (TAE) Trade Mission, which included the Minister of Environment of Nova Scotia Mark Parent, visited Trinidad and Tobago. The considerable interest by Nova Scotia in Trinidad and Tobago is as a result of several promotional visits by Foreign Affairs Minister Arnold Piggott during his three-and-a-half year term as this country’s High Commissioner to Canada. Piggott raised this country’s profile in Canada and opened the door for other missions from Trinidad and Tobago. Recently, Khalid Hassanali, President of eTeck, visited Nova Scotia, in further preparation for this 2007 trade mission. Other visits to Nova Scotia included executives from the National Gas Company, who made presentations at the Canadian Offshore Resources Exhibition and Conference in Halifax; representatives from environmental agencies in both countries who met to discuss common environmental issues; and representatives from the Tobago House of Assembly who visited to discuss the unique opportunities for investment and trade in Tobago.