Initiation of Security Cooperation Dialogue with Caribbean Leaders
Statement by Secretary Condoleezza Rice
New York City
September 25, 2008
In a September 25 meeting with leaders of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Dominican Republic, I announced the
United States’ support for and commitment to begin immediately a wide-ranging U.S.-Caribbean security cooperation
dialogue.
Through this dialogue, the United States and our Caribbean partners will identify the means to counter the threats posed
to our citizens and our democratic states by illicit trafficking in drugs, persons, and weapons. We will also develop
long-term solutions to the vulnerabilities that make our nations targets of exploitation by organized crime and drug
trafficking cartels. In the coming months, the United States will work closely with our Caribbean partners to articulate
a framework for expanding cooperation and marshalling resources in common response to these shared challenges.
ENDS