A meeting of delegations from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana has agreed on a number of security steps including joint land and sea patrol missions.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips led Guyana’s team to Cayenne, French Guiana for the August 25-27 talks.
A release from his office on Monday said that at the engagement, which also involved France, Cayenne’s parent country, the discussion centred on joint security threats and challenges facing the Guianas.
The release said that the dialogue also emphasised the importance of a shared understanding of the regional strategic defence and security environment and about how the countries “can collaborate and structure their operational and technical cooperation in the fight against the security threats and other challenges facing the populations, territories, maritime space and interests”.
Within the framework of the Guiana Shield Strategic Dialogue on security and defence and to construct a common security masterplan, the release said that the dialogue agreed on:
“exchanging views and working closely on technical and operational areas, including increased (joint) land, and sea patrol missions”.
They also agreed to strive for a global and coordinated approach against illicit trafficking and serious crimes, including drugs trafficking, illegal gold mining, environmental crimes and irregular immigration with a focus on anticipation, threat assessment and prevention.
Increasing joint attention to the environment and climate change, including security and defence impact on climate change and to help safeguard conditions for peace and sustainable development was another area of agreement.
The Guyana delegation also included Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn; Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Godfrey Bess; National Security Advisor to the President, Captain Gerry Gouveia; Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, Colonel Omar Khan and Director of the Customs Anti-Narcotic Agency, James Singh.
Suriname’s delegation was led by Defence Minister Krishna Mathoera and the French Delegation by Brigadier General Régis Colcombet, the release stated.
