President Irfaan Ali and United States (US) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Wednesday signed a Joint Declaration for an Enhanced Defence Partnership at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., committing both countries to expanded military cooperation.
The agreement provides for US defence expertise, multidomain training and joint exercises with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), alongside measures to strengthen Guyana’s ability to monitor and respond to threats within and around its territory.
According to a statement from Guyana’s Department of Public Information (DPI), the declaration builds on decades of security cooperation and reflects both countries’ commitment to Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Guyana and the United States established formal diplomatic relations on August 15, 1966, under the government of then-Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, less than three months after Guyana gained independence from Britain. The relationship has since expanded to include defence, trade, investment and energy cooperation.
The latest agreement prioritises improved air-domain awareness, although the DPI statement did not specify funding, implementation timelines or whether the United States would supply additional military equipment.
The signing comes amid Guyana’s longstanding territorial dispute with Venezuela, which claims the Essequibo region, approximately two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. Guyana maintains that the 1899 arbitral award established the boundary and is defending its position before the International Court of Justice.
Cooperation against narcotrafficking
The declaration also commits Guyana and the United States to confronting narcotrafficking and what the DPI described as “narcoterrorist organizations.”
The statement said the agreement builds on both countries’ roles in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition and the Shield of the Americas, initiatives focused on regional security and criminal networks.
It added that the commitments were intended to deter state and non-state actors threatening Guyana and the wider Western Hemisphere.
However, the DPI statement provided no details on specific operations, additional deployments or resources allocated to the anti-narcotrafficking effort.
Broader strategic partnership
The declaration extends an expanding bilateral relationship covering defence, energy, trade and investment, as Guyana’s growing oil industry increases the strategic importance of protecting its territory, offshore infrastructure and maritime interests.
The DPI described the agreement as a further milestone in the partnership, which it said had deepened under Ali’s leadership.
The practical impact of the declaration will depend on how the commitments are implemented, including the scope of US assistance, the frequency of joint exercises and the extent to which the GDF’s surveillance and operational capabilities improve.
