Belizean military top brass visit United Kingdom
Strengthening of bilateral military ties between Belize and the United Kingdom
Brigadier General David Jones, Commander Belize Defence Force, and Rear Admiral John Borland, Commandant Belize Coast Guard, Belize’s top-ranking military officers have just concluded an official visit to the United Kingdom where they met the Ministry of Defence Minister Dr Andrew Murrison as well as senior British military officers.
At the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. L-R: RAdm John Borland, Grace Chun (British Deputy High Commissioner), Martin Garrett (Americas Research Group), HE Perla Perdomo (Belize High Commissioner), Lt Col Patrick Brown (Defence Attaché Caribbean), Brig Gen David Jones
The officers were invited by the British Government to participate in an international maritime security capability conference and exhibition from 7-10 January.
During the following week they attended a number of high level meetings at the UK Ministry of Defence and at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They were also hosted on board HMS Argyll which was at anchor in the Thames next to Tower Bridge. HMS Argyll will be deploying to the Caribbean later this year.
HMS Argyll
British High Commissioner to Belize Peter Hughes said:
I welcome this visit as an opportunity to reaffirm the strong relationship between the British Armed Forces and the Belizean Military. The UK recognises the challenges faced by the region in tackling violence and organised crime. We are committed to working with international partners to provide further assistance in the form of training and expertise.