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A LETTER of Agreement to establish and support projects under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) has been signed by Guyana and the United States. 
The signing, which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, saw Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and U.S. Chargй d’Affaires, Thomas C. Pierce, affixing their signatures on behalf of the respective countries, according to a release.
The signing, which took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, saw Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, and U.S. Chargй d’Affaires, Thomas C. Pierce, affixing their signatures on behalf of the respective countries, according to a release.The Letter of Agreement covers two key areas, namely law enforcement support and tracking money laundering. The law enforcement support aspect is designed to enhance the capability of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) to conduct counter-narcotics operations at this country’s ports of entry.
The countering money laundering programme will provide assistance to the Guyana Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and assist government entities with enforcing anti-money laundering legislation. Both projects will run for a period of three (3) years.
The programme is one element of this country’s initiative and multinational effort to improve security in the Caribbean region.
Guyana has partnered with the other nations of the Caribbean, and the United States to combat the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.
CBSI is a partnership between the United States of America and the nations of the Caribbean designed to advance citizen security in the region.
Through the CBSI, the United States of America and Caribbean nations have agreed to undertake cooperative efforts to reduce illicit trafficking, advance public safety and security, and promote social justice.
The Narcotics Control Agreement is part of a bigger programme of assistance to the Caribbean Region, which will include more than US$45 million in the first year.
This shared security partnership, CBSI, was developed together with Caribbean governments, and fulfills President Obama’s commitment to deepen regional security cooperation made at the Fifth Summit of the Americas, held in Port of Spain, Trinidad in April 2009.
Other assistance programmes
The U.S’s commitment to Guyana and to the CBSI partnership extends beyond the CBSI funding described above.
It also includes the provision of patrol/interceptor boats, support equipment, command and control systems, radios, logistical and maintenance support, and training to increase maritime interdiction capability.
Support for building partnerships with local NGOs to provide rehabilitation for juvenile offenders and offer alternatives to violence, training and increased access to microfinance for young entrepreneurs are also a part of the package.
