Head of U.S. Southern Command to visit Guyana

– Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement to be signed

Guyana and the United States of America will soon be signing an Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement. The Agreement will pave the way for the exchange of goods or services of equal value to support future bilateral defence cooperation.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the US Embassy today. It will be signed between the two countries militaries when U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Faller, Commander of U.S. Southern Command, visits from January 11-13, 2021.

During his visit, the Admiral Faller will meet President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Guyana Defence Force Chief of Staff, Brigadier Godfrey Bess to discuss bilateral security partnership between the two countries.

“The defence partnership between the two countries includes collaboration against regional threats and challenges, capacity-building engagements, bilateral training, expertise exchanges, exercises, and participation in military education programs,” the statement said.

Last September, Guyana and the United States signed a Shiprider Agreement to facilitate maritime cooperation between the two countries. This has since paved the way for the first of a series of joint exercises offshore Guyana on Saturday, January 9.

The Shiprider Agreement enables joint maritime and airspace patrols to interdict narcotics. It also provides mechanisms to streamline communications between law enforcement officials of Guyana and the US to conduct operations at sea and expedite overflight clearances for law enforcement aircraft when combating drug trafficking.

The U.S. Southern Command’s top military leader last visited Guyana in 2017.

The Command is one of the Department of Defence’s six geographically-focused unified commands with responsibility for U.S. military operations in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, as well as security cooperation with defence and public-security forces in the Region.