Antigua and Barbuda has urged countries across the Americas to deepen regional cooperation as governments confront increasingly complex security threats that transcend national borders.
Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene delivered the appeal while representing Antigua and Barbuda at the 17th Conference of Defence Ministers of the Americas in Cusco, Peru, where defence and security officials are examining strategies to strengthen regional stability.
Addressing delegates, Greene said the conference provides an important opportunity for countries throughout the hemisphere to reinforce dialogue, build partnerships, and develop coordinated approaches to shared security concerns.
He noted that although nations differ in geography, size, and military capacity, they all share a common obligation to safeguard their citizens, uphold democratic principles, and preserve peace.
Greene said the security landscape has evolved significantly, with modern threats extending beyond traditional military concerns. Organized crime, cybercrime, illicit financial networks, and efforts to undermine democratic institutions, he said, have become increasingly interconnected and require equally coordinated responses.
“The security challenges confronting the Americas no longer fit neatly within national borders or traditional definitions of defence,” Greene said, adding that regional cooperation is essential to effectively address those risks.
Speaking from the perspective of a Small Island Developing State, Greene said Antigua and Barbuda considers security and sustainable development to be inseparable. He explained that the country’s prosperity depends on secure maritime corridors, reliable air transportation, resilient digital infrastructure, and strong partnerships with neighbouring states.
He warned that disruptions to any of those systems can have consequences that extend well beyond the borders of individual countries.
Greene also highlighted the continuing impact of transnational organized crime on the Caribbean, saying criminal networks exploit the region’s maritime space to traffic narcotics, firearms, people, and illicit financial assets. Those activities, he said, fuel violence, weaken public institutions, and threaten economic and social development across the region.
While noting that the Caribbean has not experienced terrorism on the scale seen elsewhere, Greene cautioned against complacency. He said governments must remain vigilant against emerging risks, including violent extremism, cyber-enabled radicalization, illicit financial activity, and the misuse of evolving technologies.
Greene concluded that no country, regardless of its resources or capabilities, can effectively confront today’s security challenges in isolation. He said stronger partnerships, sustained collaboration, and collective action remain essential to maintaining peace, security, and stability throughout the Americas.
Source: Antigua News Room Antigua and Barbuda Urges United Regional Response to Modern Security Threats.