PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago has hailed the victory of Barack Obama, the first African Ameri-can to be elected president of the United States, saying it hopes his election will result in "dynamic changes with respect to state, hemispheric and global affairs".

"Plans for a renewed American diplomacy would present opportunities for progress in engaging world leaders, reaffirming and maintaining allies and rallying international support for issues which would affect us all," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued late on Wednesday night.

Increased trade

It said that under the Obama administration, the proposed plans for increased trade with foreign nations would potentially strengthen the American economy.

"Greater engagement by the US with the Latin American and Caribbean countries could prove to be mutually beneficial through fair trade policies and access to foreign markets," the Patrick Manning government said, adding that there would also be continued bilateral collaboration between Washington and Port-of- Spain with respect to energy and energy security, "as Trinidad and Tobago is the United State's largest supplier of natural gas".