Guyana committed to being an active developmental partner – Pres Ali tells RSS

…attends Caricom-Cuba Summit

On Tuesday, President Dr Irfaan Ali emphasised that Guyana remains committed to offering its unwavering support to the Regional Security System (RSS), during a breakfast meeting at Ilaro Court, Bridgetown, Barbados, where he is attending the Caribbean Community (Caricom)-Cuba Summit.

He made these remarks following the handing over of the document of ascension to the Chair of the Ministerial Council of the RSS, Prime Minister of Grenada Dickon Mitchell. According to the President, Guyana’s decision to join the regional body is closely linked to its policies and developmental strategies.
“Guyana has always been, and continues to be, a regional player – we believe strongly in the Region. Even before this morning, we have demonstrated our full trust and confidence in the RSS.”
“I assure you that you can depend on our full support, and the Region can depend on us on being an active partner for development,” the President said at the event. Among Guyana’s delegation joining him were Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd; Guyana’s Ambassador to Caricom, George Talbot; Director of National Intelligence and Security Administration, Colonel Omar Khan; Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit Head James Singh and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum.

President Ali, meanwhile, was also praised by Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, who lauded him for joining the regional organisation and for his unwavering support towards regional integration.
In September of this year, Guyana became a member of the RSS. The RSS is based in Barbados at the Paragon Centre, headed by many regional army chiefs. It mainly serves as a defence system for the Caribbean Sea, conducting many operations by detecting and combating cross-Atlantic and intra-Caribbean drug smuggling, protecting the sovereignty of the nations of the Caribbean, providing assistance to Caribbean countries at the request of governments and are usually the first to respond after natural disasters occur, such as hurricanes, floods and earthquakes.
The RSS was created in 1982 to counter threats to the stability of the Region in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The body cooperates with the Caricom Regional Task Force on Crime and Security (CRTFCS).

Summit
While in Barbados for the summit, President Ali also joined several Caribbean Heads of Government on Tuesday for the opening of the 8th Caricom-Cuba Summit at the Lloyd Erksine Sandiford Centre, Bridgetown, Barbados.

The leaders who attended the opening are Prime Minister Mottley, President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel; the President of the Republic of Suriname, Chandrikapersad Santokie; Prime Minister of Belize, John Briceño; Prime Minister of Grenada, Dickon Mitchell and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves.
The President also took part in a reception at Ilaro Court in Bridgetown, Barbados, in honour of participants at the 8th Caricom-Cuba Summit. The event was also attended by several other Heads of Government.
The Caricom-Cuba Summit is in its eighth iteration. Additionally, it was explained that this December marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Caricom and Cuba.
In a joint statement on the eve of the summit, Mottley had spoken highly of cooperation and collaboration between her country and Cuba, which includes in areas such as the medical field and the sugar industry.
It was only in July that an agreement was signed by President Ali and Prime Minister Mottley, to further facilitate relations between Guyana and Barbados, and collaboration in a number of areas, including agriculture and food security.
The agreement, called the Saint Barnabas Accord, was signed on the sidelines of the 43rd Caribbean Community (Caricom) Heads of Government meeting, and it paves the way for the two countries to further dialogue in nine specific areas. It is an updated agreement, since a previous Saint Barnabas Accord was signed between the two leaders. (G3)