United States Hosts Caribbean Dialogue to Advance Shared Security and Prosperity

On October 15, Deputy Secretary of State Landau hosted the U.S.-Caribbean Dialogue at the Department of State, delivering on the commitment Secretary Rubio made to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government at their February meeting in Saint Kitts and Nevis. High-level delegations from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago joined the United States to expand cooperation on shared economic, energy, and security priorities. At a business luncheon and an evening reception, Caribbean delegations met with American business leaders to discuss opportunities for projects in energy, critical minerals, ports, and digital infrastructure that will create jobs and growth in both the United States and the Caribbean.

Dialogue sessions addressed energy security, economic growth, critical infrastructure, trusted technology, disaster response and health cooperation, and the fight against narco-terrorists and transnational criminal organizations. Participants discussed access to U.S. energy and technology, fair and transparent procurement, trusted digital and port infrastructure, self-sufficient health workforces, and closer coordination to disrupt illicit narcotics and firearms trafficking.

Advancing U.S.-Caribbean Commercial Diplomacy

• Caribbean Investment Summit: The Department of State announced that it will host a Caribbean Investment Summit in early 2027 to connect U.S. companies, financiers, and government finance agencies with Caribbean partners to help them close deals in open, competitive markets.

Promoting Trusted Digital Technology

• Caribbean and Central America Undersea Cables Program: The Department of State announced $175.8 million to expand trusted, high-speed undersea cable connectivity across the Caribbean and Central America and make trusted connections more resilient to disruption.

Strengthening Health Self-Sufficiency

• Americas Strategic Partnership for Independent Regional Healthcare Excellence (ASPIRE): Working with Congress, the Department of State intends to provide $61.5 million through ASPIRE to help Caribbean governments build self-sufficient health workforces by hiring health professionals ethically and transparently, with fair pay going to the workers themselves.

Advancing Regional Security Through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI)

• Protecting Critical Infrastructure and Maritime Resources: The Department of State announced $37 million in CBSI programming to secure critical digital infrastructure and ports, and counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
• Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation: The State Department announced $66 million in CBSI programming to strengthen Caribbean partners' ability to counter transnational criminal organizations and secure the region's borders. The total includes $55 million in International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement assistance and $11 million in Foreign Military Financing.
• CBSI Security Ministerial: The United States will work with Caribbean security ministers and the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to convene the next CBSI Security Ministerial in spring 2027.

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