PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago — Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar met Thursday with a high-level delegation of French business leaders and investors, launching what her administration describes as a deliberate effort to attract major foreign capital and reposition Trinidad and Tobago as the Caribbean and Latin American region’s premier investment destination.
The meeting, convened as part of the government’s ongoing international investment engagement strategy, brought together senior French executives and industry representatives spanning aviation, energy, transport, construction, agro-processing, luxury distribution, maritime services, manufacturing, and technology. French Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, His Excellency Guillaume Pierre, led the delegation, whose composition reflected the breadth of France’s commercial interest in the region and the seriousness with which Paris views Trinidad and Tobago as a viable Caribbean partner.
The ambassador’s personal leadership of the delegation carried diplomatic weight beyond a courtesy visit. It signaled that the French government is actively facilitating private sector engagement with Port of Spain at the highest level, a posture that strengthens the credibility of any investment discussions that follow.
Persad-Bissessar framed the engagement as central to her broader economic vision, one aimed at diversifying the country’s revenue base, expanding employment, and restoring Trinidad and Tobago’s credibility and visibility on the global investment stage.
Cabinet Backs Kamla’s French Investment Push
Three senior ministers joined the Prime Minister at the table: Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jearlean John, Attorney General John Jeremie, SC, and Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs Sean Sobers.
Their presence was deliberate. With the Attorney General and the infrastructure minister both in the room, the government sent a clear signal to the French delegation that it is prepared to move discussions from diplomatic courtesies toward concrete legal frameworks and project facilitation. The inclusion of the Foreign Affairs minister further underscored that these talks carry strategic weight beyond a single bilateral meeting.
Kamla Persad-Bissessar reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to building a stable, business-friendly regulatory environment, citing Trinidad and Tobago’s strategic geographic location, skilled workforce, established industrial capacity, and strong regional connectivity as competitive advantages that continue to attract international interest, areas actively promoted by the Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism.
Diversification, Logistics, and Technology Drive the Agenda
Discussions centered on sectors the government has identified as critical to long-term economic diversification, including transport infrastructure, aviation services, energy, manufacturing, logistics, food production, and technology-driven industries.
The range of sectors on the table reflects the administration’s push to move beyond the country’s traditional dependence on oil and gas revenues and build a more resilient, multi-pillar economy capable of generating sustained employment across skill levels and industries. Trinidad and Tobago is not alone in pursuing that shift. Across the Caribbean, governments are competing aggressively for foreign direct investment, and the presence of a French ambassador-led business delegation in Port of Spain represents a tangible diplomatic and commercial advantage the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration is moving quickly to leverage.
The French delegation responded positively, expressing strong interest in Trinidad and Tobago’s potential as a strategic gateway to the wider Caribbean and South American markets. Delegation members welcomed continued dialogue and collaboration with the government on identifying specific investment and partnership opportunities.
Persad-Bissessar emphasized that such international engagements form part of a sustained and structured effort to open new avenues of economic cooperation with global partners, with the stated goal of delivering tangible benefits for citizens through increased employment opportunities, new revenue streams, and accelerated national development.
The Prime Minister noted that Trinidad and Tobago‘s regional connectivity and market access position the country not simply as an investment destination, but as a commercial hub through which European and international businesses can access the broader Caribbean and South American economies.
No specific investment commitments, project agreements, or follow-up timelines were announced following the meeting. The government indicated that dialogue with the French delegation would continue.
Thursday’s engagement adds to a series of international investment meetings the Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration has pursued since assuming office, as it works to build a pipeline of foreign partnerships it says will underpin the country’s next phase of economic growth.
