“US-Guyana relationship has never been better” – Deputy Secretary Landau after visit

…as GDF, State Department ink agreement to strengthen bilateral defence

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau recently concluded an official visit to Georgetown during which steps were taken to further strengthen ties between Guyana and the United States (US) in a number of areas including security, energy, mining, infrastructure and communities, among others.

“The US-Guyana relationship has never been better,” Landau declared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday after his regional visit to Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana from August 9 to 12. The Deputy Secretary of State recognised that Guyana is experiencing one of the most dramatic economic growth spurts in history as a result of its energy and mineral resources – something which Washington is keen on working with the country to develop.
“As Guyana’s #1 trading partner, the US is proud to collaborate with President Dr Irfaan Ali and his distinguished Administration on key energy, mining, infrastructure, agriculture, communications and housing projects (among others), as well as on security and counternarcotics,” Secretary Landau stated. While in Georgetown on Tuesday, Deputy Secretary Landau met with President Ali and Cabinet Ministers along with other Senior Government officials during which they discussed expanding bilateral economic cooperation and strengthening investment opportunities, with a focus on strategic sectors including energy and critical minerals. One of the key outcomes of that engagement is the two countries reaffirming their intent to strengthen counternarcotics and border security cooperation, in keeping with the March 2025 US-Guyana Security Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Building on that pact, the US has pledged US$2 million for a new initiative aimed at developing air domain awareness and unmanned aerial system capabilities in Guyana.

Common interests
In an interview on Tuesday evening in Georgetown, Landau said the security cooperation was driven by shared concerns over organised crime and drug trafficking. “We have many common interests in fighting organised crime and stopping drug flows in this region,” Landau said. He went onto add that the US and Guyana face similar security threats from organised criminal groups within the region, making cooperation between the two countries important. “This is a tricky neighbourhood, and the United States faces the same security threats from these organised criminal groups as does Guyana, and so it’s natural for us to want to work together,” Landau emphasised. This commitment to enhance collaboration between the two countries was further demonstrated in the signing of a MoU that is intended to enhance the existing Memorandum of Security Cooperation between Guyana and the US. According to the Office of the President, the MoU strengthens and deepens the long standing partnership, building on earlier cooperation in countering narcotics and wider security collaboration. The document was signed by Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd and Deputy Secretary Landau.

Defence and security cooperation
Similarly, the US State Department official also inked another pact to strengthen bilateral defence and security cooperation with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) regarding the assignment of liaison officers. The signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) took place on Tuesday during a high-level engagement between senior officials from Guyana’s national defence and security architecture and visiting US Government officials at Base Camp Ayanganna in Georgetown.
Chief of Defence Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Omar Khan, and Deputy Secretary Landau co-chaired the engagement during which the US official reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening defence and security cooperation with Guyana. The MOA establishes a framework for the assignment of liaison officers between the GDF and United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) in support of the Joint Inter-Agency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) initiative. The arrangement will see a Guyanese foreign liaison officer being embedded in the JIATF-S, facilitating closer coordination and communication between the two defence agencies.

Mutual security interest
Meanwhile, the discussions also covered matters of mutual security interest, including regional stability, countering transnational organised crime, and the continued development of Guyana’s defence and security capabilities. Existing areas of bilateral cooperation were also reviewed, with attention also given to opportunities for further collaboration.
“The signing of the MOA marks a further step in the Guyana-United States defence relationship. It establishes arrangements for sustained military engagement, professional development and capacity building, while the assignment of liaison officers will provide a direct channel for coordination. The arrangement will support continued cooperation in areas of mutual defence and security interest,” the GDF said in a statement following Tuesday’s meeting. Also attending that high-level engagement were National Security Advisor, Gerald Gouveia, AA; Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, Colonel Sheldon Howell, MSM; and Director of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh.
Deputy Secretary Landau was accompanied by US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot; Chief of the US Military Liaison Group, Captain (USN) Christopher Bernotavacius; Staff Assistant, Will Herter; Political/Economic Chief, Russell Zalizniak; and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) representatives, Jose Callazo and Logan Council.