US, Guyana deepen military, trade partnership

…as Pres Ali, Secretary Rubio hold trade talks in New York

The United States (US) Government has pledged to further strengthen bilateral relations with Guyana in a number of areas, including military cooperation.
This was related by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an engagement with President Dr Irfaan Ali on the side-lines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) high-level meeting held in New York.
During the meeting on Wednesday, Secretary Rubio congratulated President Ali on his re-election and emphasised the importance of continued joint security and economic collaboration.

Both President Ali and Secretary Rubio highlighted the importance of the existing strategic partnership in advancing regional security, especially to support regional efforts in the fight against narco-terrorism and transnational crimes.
Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of State, Tommy Pigott, said in a statement after the high-level meeting that the two officials reaffirmed the strong partnership between both nations, highlighting ongoing cooperation to strengthen security, expand economic opportunity, and bolster regional stability.
“The Secretary also commended Guyana’s support of a UN Support Office for Haiti and for backing the establishment of the new Gang Suppression Force. He reaffirmed support for Guyana’s territorial integrity and further underscored US commitment to deepening collaboration with the Guyana Defence Force to strengthen counternarcotics capabilities and enhance bilateral cooperation to address shared security challenges,” a missive from the State Department detailed.
In recent years, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has been benefiting from close collaborations with the US military on issues such as transnational crime and drug trafficking, among other things.
Only earlier this week, the GDF hosted an engagement with a delegation from the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence for high-level talks at Base Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown.
The visiting delegation included Nathan Heiman, Steve Smith, Valli Sanmugalingam, Peter Metzger, and Commander Brad Crocker (Military Aide). They were accompanied by representatives of the US Embassy Security Cooperation Office, Commander Christopher Bernotavicius and Lieutenant Colonel David Garcia.
They met with Colonel General Staff, Colonel Kenlloyd Roberts, MSM, and Branch Heads of the GDF to discuss Guyana’s security challenges and explore new avenues for cooperation.
Strengthening operational capabilities
The discussions during Monday’s meeting focused on strengthening operational capabilities, with both sides signalling a commitment to building on the longstanding partnership between the GDF and the US. Colonel Roberts stated the value of the relationship, pointing to the Force’s continued efforts to modernise and adapt to the evolving national security environment.
In a subsequent statement, the GDF expressed appreciation for the support extended through this partnership and said it looks forward to deepening cooperation in ways that serve both national and regional stability.
Meanwhile, a statement from President Ali following Wednesday’s high-level engagement noted that Guyana and the US are also committed to continuing close coordination at various multilateral fora to address many global challenges. The meeting also saw an exchange of views on issues facing the hemisphere, including the situations in Haiti and Cuba.
It also highlighted that the US remains an important trade ally for Guyana.
“Both sides recognise the need to work closely to realise the full benefits of bilateral trade relations. Discussion also examined progress on the ongoing bilateral trade talks and the efforts aimed at ensuring a mutually beneficial agreement is reached,” the Office of the President in Georgetown said.
While trade relations between Guyana and the United States hit an all-time high of US$4.7 billion in 2024, this was dampened earlier this year when the US announced an initial 38 per cent reciprocal tariff on goods from Guyana back in April. This, however, was later slashed to an across-the-board 10 per cent tariff pending the August 1 rollout of the new tariff rates.
On that date, the Trump Administration reduced the reciprocal tariff imposed on Guyana from 38 per cent to now 15 per cent – something which the Guyana Government is working to have further cut down.
Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had told this newspaper back in August that while the government was very pleased that there was a downward adjustment of the tariff, Guyana would still engage in discussions with US authorities and is hopeful that the tariff would be adjusted back to 10 per cent.
At Wednesday’s high-level meeting, President Ali’s delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Burkett, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud, and Director of Presidential Affairs Marcia Nadir-Sharma.