GDF Chief of Staff visits HMS Trent
Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force, Brigadier Omar Khan and the British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller were among those who on Friday visited the UK warship HMS Trent which is moored offshore.
Photos of the visit were posted on the ship’s X page.
The visit of the ship has sparked controversy and resulted in Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro mobilising his forces and accusing Guyana of breaching the Argyle Agreement which had been reached in St Vincent and the Grenadines on December 14.
The visit of the ship was announced on December 23rd. According to the BBC, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed HMS Trent would take part in joint exercises after Christmas.
HMS Trent – an offshore patrol vessel – had been deployed to the Caribbean to search for drug smugglers but was re-tasked after Venezuela’s government threatened to annex the Essequibo region of Guyana earlier this month, the BBC said.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told the BBC: “HMS Trent will visit regional ally and Commonwealth partner Guyana later this month as part of a series of engagements in the region during her Atlantic Patrol Task deployment.”
The BBC says HMS Trent has a crew of 65, a top speed of 24 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.
It is armed with 30mm cannon and a contingent of Royal Marines. It can also deploy Merlin helicopters and unmanned aircraft.
The vessel is mainly used for tackling piracy and smuggling, protecting fisheries, counterterrorism, providing humanitarian aid, and search and rescue operations, but the Royal Navy says it is also designed for border patrols and defence diplomacy.
The decision to send HMS Trent to Guyana is part of a growing UK effort to show international diplomatic support for Guyana, according to the BBC.
Two weeks ago, the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said the UK would “continue to work with partners in the region to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld and prevent escalation”.
David Rutley, the Foreign Office Minister for the Americas, visited Georgetown on 18 December, the first G7 representative to do so since Venezuela stoked tensions.
He promised Guyana the UK’s “unequivocal backing” and welcomed Venezuela’s promise to avoid using force.
Rutley continued: “The border issue has been settled for over 120 years. Sovereign borders must be respected wherever they are in the world.
“The UK will continue to work with partners in the region, as well as through international bodies, to ensure the territorial integrity of Guyana is upheld.”