The United States is T&T’s largest trading partner and most important source of foreign direct investment. When I returned as this country’s foreign minister under the Basdeo Panday administration, one of my first acts was to suggest to a Caricom foreign ministers meeting in Jamaica that we move toward a first-ever summit of Caricom leaders and the president of the United States. But, supported by chairman of the meeting, then Caricom secretary general Edwin Carrington, the idea prevailed and the meeting mandated that the suggestion be put to Caricom Heads at their upcoming Heads of Government conference. This was the level of closeness being developed between Caricom and the United States as the 20th Century drew to a close. At the invitation of the US government, Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar visited the United States Southern Command (Southcom) in Doral, Florida, where discussions centred on collaborative efforts to strengthen the defence partnership between both nations.