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Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal has expressed confidence that the Dragon gas deal with Venezuela will advance “peacefully” once the United States issues the necessary licence from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Moonilal said he believes the project is now firmly back on track despite geopolitical tensions in the region and recent controversy over Trinidad and Tobago’s open support for United States President Donald Trump’s deployment of military forces to combat narco-trafficking.

Speaking with the media yesterday, Moonilal recalled that the United States government had revoked a licence previously issued to the People’s National Movement (PNM) administration to facilitate the Dragon project. He said that in record time—just four to five months—Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had acted to reverse this decision and reposition the project.