The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and the Ministry of Defence of the Dominican Republic (MIDE) have joined forces through two historic memoranda of understanding (MoUs).

These agreements, recently signed at the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cybersecurity, and Intelligence (C5i) Centre of the Dominican defence ministry, mark a significant step towards enhancing aeronautical and maritime search and rescue operations of both countries as well as pooling resources to tackle international organised crime.

The signing ceremony saw Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman, Chief of Staff of the JDF, and Lieutenant General Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa, minister of defence of the Dominican Republic, put pen to paper to authorise the accords.

The meeting began with the first official visit of Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman to the Dominican Republic. During her visit, bilateral discussions were held with Lieutenant General Díaz Morfa, to discuss crucial security and defence matters impacting both countries and the wider region. In addition, working sessions took place with the General Command of the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy of the Dominican Republic.

Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman, in expression of her thoughts on the MoUs, said: “The Jamaica Defence Force is pleased to have signed these MOUs with the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic, which is in keeping with our goals of influencing and contributing to regional security.”

She added: “These MOUs create the framework for meeting mission-critical objectives and building capabilities in the maritime and air domain. This formal framework will now allow the Forces of both countries to cooperate in the prevention of illicit trafficking and in aeronautical and maritime search and rescue.”

Lieutenant General Díaz Morfa, in stressing the historical significance of the collaborations, said: “These instruments will create the necessary conditions and procedures for the naval and aerial units of the Dominican Armed Forces and the Jamaica Defence Force to support their respective territorial zones with rapid and effective maritime and aerial interdiction operations. This will facilitate the surveillance, detection, and monitoring of vessels and aircraft attempting illicit activities and other types of transnational crimes in the maritime zones and airspace of both nations.”

Ambassador José Julio Gómez, the deputy minister of bilateral foreign policy at the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who attended on behalf of the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Álvarez, described the official visit of Rear Admiral Wemyss Gorman and the signing of collaboration agreements as “a significant step towards strengthening ever-closer relations with Jamaica”.

Dominican Ambassador to Jamaica Angie Martínez underscored the historic significance of these agreements, emphasising that they “will further strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between our nations, contributing to a safer future for both our countries and the Caribbean region”.

The negotiations leading to these agreements have been made possible through the unwavering support of key stakeholders, including Ambassador Martínez and Counsellor Miguel Balaguer, the director of security and defence; Ambassador Ramón Quiñones, the director of relations with the Caribbean at the Dominican foreign ministry; Dolly Escovar, as well as the JDF, the Dominican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This collaborative effort underscores their shared responsibility to strengthen bilateral security, as well as maritime and aerial security in the region.

The signing ceremony was graced by the presence of several distinguished officials, including the Dominican Embassy in Kingston’s Charge d’Affaires Thomas Allan Marley, and senior officials from the general staff of the Dominican Armed Forces. This occasion, which marks a turning point in regional security and defence cooperation, is a testament to the commitment of both nations to ensuring a safer Caribbean for all.