U. S. commits US$77M to security initiative

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on June 22 that her country was committing US$77 million to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) in the next fiscal year.

Clinton was speaking at a high level meeting between foreign ministers of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Dominican Republic and the United States, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Clinton declared that it was important to look critically at the initiative in order to see what was or was not working; to improve information sharing; institutionalise formal measures to coordinate maritime security; and to find the means for long-term funding of security measures.

Clinton assured the meeting that President Barack Obama was committed to the region, and thanked Caricom for its role in Haiti in supporting the election process. She singled out the Chief of the Caricom/ Organisation of American States Joint Electoral Observer Mission in Haiti, Ambassador Colin Granderson, who is also Assistant Secretary-General responsible for foreign and Community relations at the Caricom Secretariat, for special praise.

Clinton also praised Caricom for expanding economic opportunities in Haiti through the three- year non-reciprocal trading agreement between Haiti and the rest of the Community, which commenced last January. She said that the U. S. would work with Caricom to encourage private sector involvement in Haiti to help spur economic growth in the country.

Notwithstanding three critical areas for cooperation between the two sides, which she identified as citizens’ security, energy and climate, and economic development, Clinton said that the U. S. would be asking for guidance in the specific areas in which it can be helpful to the region.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Caricom Council for Foreign and Community Relations (Cofcor), Samuel Condor, has implored the U. S. not to forget their friends in the region as that country moves closer to election mode.

The plea was made in the context of the need for progress with projects and programmes identified for action by the two sides, particularly in the last two years. Condor also pointed out that the situation in the U.S. in regard to unemployment had a direct influence in the Caribbean and was not limited to the effect on tourist arrivals in the region.

“Given that remittances to the region from relatives in the U. S. are a critical element for a significant number of our citizens, the likely impact of a slowdown in those remittances includes challenges in respect of poverty alleviation,” Condor added.