On October 15, Under Secretary of State Landau hosted the U.S.-Caribbean Dialogue at the State Department, fulfilling the commitment Secretary Rubio made to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government at the St. Kitts and Nevis meeting in February. High-level delegations from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, 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 in expanding cooperation on shared economic, energy and priorities. At a business luncheon and evening reception, the Caribbean delegation met with U.S. business leaders to discuss opportunities for energy, critical minerals, ports and digital infrastructure projects that will create jobs and growth in the United States and the Caribbean.
The dialogue sessions discussed energy security, economic growth, critical infrastructure, trusted technologies, disaster response and health cooperation, as well as combating narco-terrorists and transnational criminal organizations. Participants discussed access to U.S. energy and technology, fair and transparent procurement, trustworthy digital and ports infrastructure, a self-sufficient health workforce and closer coordination to combat illicit narcotics and firearms trafficking.
Advancing U.S.-Caribbean Commercial Diplomacy
- Caribbean Investment Summit: The U.S. State Department has announced that it will host the Caribbean Investment Summit in early 2027 to connect U.S. companies, financiers and government financial institutions with Caribbean partners and help them complete transactions in an open, competitive market.
Promote trustworthy digital technology
- Caribbean and Central American Submarine Cable Plan: The U.S. Department of State announced $175.8 million in funding to expand trusted high-speed undersea cable connections in the Caribbean and Central America and make trusted connections more resilient to disruptions.
Strengthen health self-sufficiency
- Americas Strategic Partnership for Independent Regional Healthcare Excellence (ASPIRE): The State Department intends to work with Congress to provide $61.5 million through ASPIRE to help Caribbean governments build self-sufficient health workforces through ethical and transparent hiring of health professionals and fair compensation for the workers themselves.
Promoting regional security through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI)
- Protect critical infrastructure and marine resources: The U.S. Department of State announced a $37 million CBSI initiative to secure critical digital infrastructure and ports and combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
- Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation: The U.S. Department of State announced a $66 million CBSI program to strengthen the capabilities of Caribbean partners to combat 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 Conference: The United States will work with Caribbean Security Ministers and the CARICOM Executive Agency on Crime and Security (IMPACS) to convene the next CBSI Security Ministerial in spring 2027.