Saint Lucia benefits from US Embassy Military Liaison Office

Monday, January 25, 2010 – The relationship between the governments of the United States and Saint Lucia continues to bear fruit in the area of border security.

The US government is funding the construction of two coast guard piers and a break water facility to allow local police to better secure and monitor Saint Lucia's borders and ports of entry.

Home Affairs and National Security Minister, Senator Honourable Guy Mayers, says given the geographical location of Saint Lucia, and the nature of its porous borders, the assistance from the United States is vital for national security and for dealing with the high rate of illegal activity which takes place in local waters.

“Saint Lucia is a transhipment point for drugs which are destined for countries way beyond our shores because that is where the demand is. I believe that the countries where the demand is have a responsibility to assist us as small island states to stem the flow of drugs to those markets and that is why this relationship between the governments of the United States and Saint Lucia are so important,” Mayers said.

The Deputy Chief at the Bridgetown based United States Embassy Military Liaison Office, Major Edward Harvey, says the construction and upgrade of the two coast guard piers are in keeping with the US government's continued effort to assist countries like Saint Lucia with border security and drug interdiction.

“We have seen time and time again the illicit trafficking of drugs, people and weapons and that is a threat that confronts all countries in the Eastern Caribbean. The US government is therefore glad to finance the construction of this pier and the break water facility in Vieux-Fort in order to increase the capability of the Marine Unit to counter those threats to Saint Lucia.”

The project is the latest in several spanning decades of friendship between the governments of the United States and Saint Lucia.

The relationship has facilitated the training of local officers in various US departments, and cooperation in several areas of mutual interests, particularly security and the fight against narcotics.

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