US and Eastern Caribbean nations strengthen security ties at annual workshop

Barbados: The US Military Liaison Office located at the US Embassy in Bridgetown hosted the annual Eastern Caribbean Security Cooperation Workshop from August 13 to 15, 2024. The workshop served as an important forum for discussing and planning key security initiatives in the Caribbean region. 

According to the information, this annual workshop stands as a cornerstone of the ongoing security collaboration between the US and the Eastern Caribbean partner countries. 

This year, the three day event brought together US Ambassador Roger Nyhus, senior defense and law enforecement officials from across the Eastern Caribbean partner countries as well as representatives from the Florida and Virgin Islands National Guards.

The workshop was also attended by officials from the SOUTHCOM - U.S. Southern Command, the DSCA - Defense Security Cooperation Agency, NIPO - Naval International Programs Office, The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation and The U.S. Coast Guard Office of International Acquisitions Programs. 

During the workshop, Ambassador Nyhus outlined the significant of the ongoing collaboration and said that since 2022, together they have executed nearly 50 State Partnership Program events which were designed to address the Eastern Caribbean’s top emergent priorities in national as well as regional security. 

He added that these activities covered everything from cybersecurity to search and rescue to drug and human trafficking and comprised hundreds of participants from across the Caribbean. 

It was noted that in 2024 alone, the US Foreign Military Finance Program delivered more than $3.8 million USD in order to maintain the overall fleet of region of SAFE Boat interceptors and SeaArk utility vessels. 

In addition to this, following Hurricane Beryl, a technical assistance field team also travelled to Grenada to carry out significant boat repairs for the Royal Grenadian Police Force. 

Not only this but the United States has also allocated an additional funds amounting $300,000 USD to the International Military Education Training (IMET) program this year and brought the total to$1 million USD. 

Meanwhile, the IMET-funded courses continue to provide high quality training which helps in building long lasting military to military relationships. 

During the workshop, the Commander of the Barbados Defense Force, Mark Peterson, also addressed the attendees and said that by working together, they can enhance their collective security and resilience. 

He also thanked the Government of the United States for its continued support and added that together they will continue to build a brighter future for the region.