Guyana and the United States have signed a landmark agreement to enhance defence partnerships between the two countries.
The agreement was signed at the Pentagon today by President Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. Details of the agreement have not been released.
Guyana and the United States have signed a Joint Declaration for an Enhanced Defense Partnership.
The declaration was signed at the Pentagon in Washington DC between President Irfaan Ali and US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.
In a statement, the President’s office said the declaration builds on Guyana’s multi-decade partnership with the United States and is critical to the continued defense of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as it reflects the strategic weight both countries place on the security of Guyana and the Western Hemisphere.
Through the declaration, the U.S. Department of War resolves to provide sustained defense expertise, multidomain training, and combined exercises with the Guyana Defence Force, supporting Guyana’s continued efforts to build a modern and strategic defense architecture.
Cooperation will also strengthen Guyana’s air-domain awareness, enhancing its ability to monitor, deter, and respond to threats in and around its territory.
The statement said the declaration further aligns Guyana and the United States in confronting narco-terrorist organizations and narcotrafficking, building on both countries’ founding roles in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition and the Shield of the Americas.
The President’s Office said the declaration marks the latest milestone in an ever-expanding strategic partnership between Guyana and the United States, one that spans security, energy, trade, and investment.
In a statement the US Secretary of War said President Ali’s leadership across the region with key Caribbean partners has been indispensable, as he has taken the lead, and laid the foundation for the plans of the US in the hemisphere.
The US secretary, according to a statement from his Department, noted that shared challenges include narco-terrorism and military influence from outside the Western Hemisphere.
“We’ve only just begun on that project, and your investment has inspired confidence for us,” Hegseth said. “I hope you’ve seen that our investment has inspired confidence in you, in security forces, in our militaries and in the landmark joint declaration today to further elevate our defense cooperation on our all-domain partnership.”
Hegseth said that with the right means, the two nations can solve these issues, “to empower your sovereignty, your people, your security [and] your prosperity along with ours.”
The United States will intensify combined training in multi domain operations and in air interdiction, he said.
Regarding critical minerals, Guyana’s pursuit of a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. is crucial to the nations’ collective security and will bolster a shared defense industrial base, the statement said.
President Ali said there’s been a lot of talk about security and stability for a long time.
“The things that are critical for stability in the region, sustainable [for] long-term prosperity and stability, are the very things you’re pursuing — a region that’s free from narco-trafficking, free from international actors that are bad for the region, free from terrorism and free from any thinking from any group or cell anywhere in the world that this is a region where they can find a home,” Ali said, adding that he looks forward to working more closely with the United States.
“This is the era of action; this is the era of leadership; this is the era of domination and commitment, and we’re very happy to be part of this partnership,” he said. “We look forward to working with you in a stronger way”, the President said.
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