BRIDGETOWN (BNO NEWS) — The United States and Antigua on Monday signed a Proliferation Security Initiative Ship Boarding Agreement to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction worldwide, the U.S. Embassy in Barbados said.

U.S. Chargé d’Affaires D. Brent Hardt visited the Caribbean island of Antigua to sign the agreement and to inaugurate a new Coast Guard facility at the English Harbor in Antigua and Barbuda. The U.S. Embassy said the cooperative agreement and the newly constructed facility will enhance Antigua’s maritime security and counter drug capabilities.

“The Proliferation Security Initiative Agreement is a critical link in the common effort of the United States and Antigua to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction worldwide,” the U.S. Embassy said. “It will allow the U.S. and Antigua to cooperate on ensuring that Antiguan-flagged cargo vessels are not used by WMD traffickers, which will in turn support the reliability and sustainability of Antigua’s ship’s registry operations throughout the world.”

The United States Southern Command constructed the new Coast Guard facility at English Harbour in Antigua and Barbuda in order to further enhance the country’s maritime security capabilities. The facility, which was built at a cost of over US $500,000, will provide a strategic base on the Southern side of Antigua from which the country’s maritime units can operate. It is expected to significantly decrease response times to requests for assistance in the region as well as assisting in drug interdiction efforts.

“The United States is dedicated to working with our partners in the Caribbean to provide security cooperation and assistance wherever possible. The agreement and the construction project both reflect our shared commitment to strengthening regional security. Together with the recent visit of U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to the region and our ongoing collaboration to implement President Obama’s Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, these commitments highlight the deepening partnership between the Governments and peoples of the United States and Antigua and Barbuda to ensure the safety and prosperity of our citizens,” the U.S. Embassy added.

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