BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE annual Eastern Caribbean (EC) Security Assistance Mid-Year Review and Planning Workshop commenced today (Feb. 23) at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort and Royal Beach Casino.
The four-day workshop is aimed at enhancing regional cooperation between the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and the security forces of its EC partner nations.
Attendees include the Deputy Chiefs of Defence of St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados; the Deputy Commissioners of Police of Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia; Superintendents of Police for Barbados, Dominica and St. Vincent and Grenadines; and their Training and Operations Officers. Several top US military personnel are also present for the workshop.
According to a press release issued from the US Embassy Public Affairs Office, the EC participants would receive a presentation on various US military programmes including US military assistance for providing equipment and uniforms, military training courses conducted in the US and in the EC countries by US military training teams, security conferences and workshops hosted by the US military in the US and in various EC countries, and partnering between the EC countries and the state of Florida for training with the US National Guard.
US Military Liaison Officer Commander Edward Gaynor stated the workshop is a method of examining the success of SOUTHCOM’s partnership with EC countries. He noted that EC participants would meet one-on-one with US military programme managers to develop, plan, synchronise and coordinate various goals and executable activities for their countries over the next two years.
“Additionally, the workshop will also focus on looking ahead to how the security needs of the EC countries can best be served and how the EC/SOUTHCOM partnership can be strengthened.
“There is a need for us to synchronise the limited resources we have so we can maximise their use. I hope the workshop will result in a better mutual understanding of each country’s needs, as that would help with the partnership aspect,” Gaynor said.
SOUTHCOM is located in Miami, Florida and is responsible for providing contingency planning, operations and security cooperation for Central and South America, the Caribbean and Cuba.
