GUYANA and the United States have moved to deepen their longstanding security partnership with the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening existing security co-operation between the two countries.
President Dr Irfaan Ali witnessed the signing on Tuesday at the Office of the President, where Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Minister Hugh Todd and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau formalised the agreement.
According to a press release from the Office of the President, the new MoU builds on the existing Memorandum of Security Cooperation between Guyana and the United States, with a focus on enhancing collaboration in areas including counter-narcotics and wider security cooperation.
The agreement is expected to further strengthen the two countries’ longstanding partnership and provide a framework for expanded co-operation on shared security priorities.
The signing comes as Guyana continues to strengthen its international security partnerships amid growing regional and global security concerns.
Also present at the signing were Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat; Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sharon Roopchand-Edwards; and US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot.
Just last month, President Ali, during a reception hosted by the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown to mark the country’ s 250th Independence Anniversary, hailed the United States as a “trustworthy and reliable partner,” declaring that Guyana and the U.S. are building a robust security alliance and advanced development co-operation anchored in democracy, the rule of law and respect for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
He had insisted that the two countries are going beyond loose co-operation to build a tightly knit security alliance.
“Our security alliance is not only aligned, the
task before us is to make it intertwine seamlessly, and that is what we’re working on, because we have a duty to protect the children of tomorrow, to protect the economy of tomorrow, and to protect this region,” he said.
He had framed this as a responsibility to protect future generations and the regional economy and cited Guyana’s role as a founding member of the ‘Shield of America’ as part of that commitment.
President Ali had stressed that Guyana’s National Defence Institute is now closely linked with U.S. institutions, with aligned programmes, philosophies, priorities and strategies.
“Strategies are becoming to take shape on a common platform, all signalling one truth, that we are in this for the long haul. We are in this for the future, and we are in this only for one consideration, the safety, dignity, and honour of all the people of this region,” he said.
President Ali was clear that the deepening security relationship with Washington is not designed for aggression or regional domination.
“The co-operation is not sought for aggressive purposes. We have a new ambition beyond our borders, and we seek no domination over others. Rather, we seek to ensure peace, stability, and development that are the birthright of our people. We seek to ensure that our sovereignty and territorial integrity are respected by all,” he had stressed.
