Collective approach to security promotes stability and prosperity of region – PM
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) the Honourable Mark Phillips today underscored the importance of a collective approach to security in the region.
He told scores of foreign officials and local ranks at the closing ceremony of Operation Tradewinds 2021 at the National Stadium in Providence that the union formed from the multinational exercise should be maintained and amplified.
The Prime Minister said that it is imperative that the region confront key issues together, like border disputes, counter-narcotics, combating organised crime and the threat of climate change.
“As countries of the Caribbean, sharing the same geopolitical space also means the sharing of common problems and the fact that we will be more receptive of working together to resolve them”.
He added that with shared values such as democracy, economic integration and regional security, the construction of interregional linkages would culminate in a peaceful hemispheric security environment.
INTEROPERABILITY
The multinational military exercise, sponsored by the US Southern Command (USSOCOM), involved over a dozen countries, including hosts Guyana.
United States Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch said the exercise allowed the countries to work together across several disciplines and improve interoperability.
“Our security and prosperity in this region are inextricably linked, and an exercise like Tradewinds helps us demonstrate our ability to work together across multiple domains… at Camp Stephenson, I saw first-hand how these exercises provided a unique opportunity for participating nations to improve interoperability and effectively execute missions together, including humanitarian assistance and disaster risk management”.
The 14-day military exercise saw participation from host country Guyana, the Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, France, Jamaica, the Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.
Also present at today’s closing ceremony were: Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, the Honourable Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Home Affairs, the Honourable Robeson Benn; Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the Honourable Oneidge Walrond; National Security Advisor to the President, Gerry Gouveia; Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Godfrey Bess and several senior officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF).