Guyana has signed an agreement with the United States expanding military cooperation between the two countries.
“The two countries also signed a Statement of Intent to expand joint military cooperation with full respect for the sovereignty and laws of both countries,” President Irfaan Ali said, following talks here with senior US officials, including US Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War, Patrick Weaver, and the Acting Assistant Secretary of War for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Joseph Humire on Tuesday.
Ali said that the agreement is part of an evolving process between Washington and its allies in South America and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to work on defence and security.
“The US government now is launching what they call the ‘Southern Spear’ of security where they are now coming up with a strategy for the western hemisphere and the US government is to invest more and pay attention more to the CARICOM and western hemisphere so basically the countries and allies in the region signalling their intention for more collaboration and cooperation,” he said.
He said the agreement provides for “reinforcement” of long-term training and collaboration under existing regimes like the Shiprider Agreement that allows for US security personnel to chase, intercept and board drug trafficking vessels in Guyanese waters.
Asked whether the Statement of Intent would lead to the signing of a defence treaty between the US and Guyana, President Ali replied by saying, “this is evolving so in the coming months there will be greater discussions on more levels of cooperation and the integration of our work.”
The signing of the agreement comes less than 24 hours after President Ali reiterated Guyana’s commitment to work with its international allies in promoting peace, democracy and ridding the region of maligned actors involved in transnational crime in Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean.
Ali had told the visiting Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell that Guyana has consistently spoken about “the abuse of our airspace and our waterways by all kinds of criminal elements, all kinds of illegitimate trade and we stand strong and steadfast in every action that will allow those illegitimate actors to continue to tarnish the reputation of our region and we have to do this in partnership if we are to have a region that is safe for our children 30, 40, 50 years from now”. (CMC)
