US, Guyana sign ‘landmark’ defense agreement to expand military cooperation

The US and Guyana signed a new defense agreement Wednesday to strengthen military cooperation, expand joint training and address security threats in the Caribbean, the Pentagon said.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali signed the agreement at the Pentagon, establishing an enhanced defense partnership between the two countries, according to a Pentagon statement.

Hegseth praised Ali’s regional leadership, saying Guyana has played an important role in strengthening cooperation with Caribbean partners.

“We’ve only just begun on that project, and your investment has inspired confidence for us,” Hegseth said, according to the Pentagon.

“I hope you’ve seen that our investment has inspired confidence in you, in security forces, in our militaries and in the landmark joint declaration today to further elevate our defense cooperation on our all-domain partnership,” he added.

Ali welcomed the agreement, expressing his willingness to deepen cooperation with Washington and describing the deal as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral ties.

“This is the era of action; this is the era of leadership; this is the era of domination and commitment, and we’re very happy to be part of this partnership,” Ali said.

“We look forward to working with you in a stronger way,” he added.