Guyana and the United States on Monday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) establishing a framework for the assignment of liaison officers between the Guyana Defence Force and United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), in support of the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) initiative, the Guyana Defence Force said.
The agreement, signed between the Guyana Defence Force and the United States Department of State, followed talks between senior officials from Guyana’s national defence and security architecture and the US Government at Base Camp Ayanganna.
Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and United States Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau co-chaired the engagement, which brought together diplomatic, military and law-enforcement officials from both countries, the GDF said.
Landau reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation with Guyana during the discussions, according to the GDF. The MOA will facilitate closer coordination and communication between the two defence establishments and provide a direct channel for sustained military engagement, professional development and capacity building.
Discussions also covered regional stability, countering transnational organised crime and the continued development of Guyana’s defence and security capabilities, with both sides reviewing existing areas of cooperation and identifying opportunities for further collaboration, the GDF said.
Khan was accompanied by National Security Advisor Gerald Gouveia, Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency Colonel Sheldon Howell, and Director of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit James Singh.
Landau was accompanied by United States Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot, Chief of the United States Military Liaison Group Captain Christopher Bernotavacius, Staff Assistant Will Herter, Political/Economic Chief Russell Zalizniak, and Drug Enforcement Administration representatives Jose Callazo and Logan Council.
