Above: Marine Gen. John Kelly (second from left) in Trinidad (Photo: SOUTHCOM)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
United States Marine General John F Kelly concluded a three-day Caribbean tour on Thursday.
Kelly, the commander of the Florida-based US Southern Command, visited Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Haiti to address “continued military cooperation and common security issues,” according to a statement.
The talks discussed cooperation in combating transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, disaster response and training.
It was Kelly’s first visit to the Caribbean since taking over as commander of SOUTHCOM in November.
His Trinidad’s trip included high-level talks with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, focusing on regional security challenges and trafficking.
Kelly’s visit to Jamaica involved talks with senior Jamaican officials on US military support for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and US-Jamaica bilateral relations.
In Haiti, Kelly met with government officials and US Ambassador Pamela White, among others, aiming to learn about the US partnership with Haiti and its collaboration with other international partners.