PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — The Trinidad and Tobago government says a United States (US) warship is due to arrive in the country this weekend for a five-day visit during which joint military training exercises will be conducted with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF).

The country’s Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs said that the USS Gravely, a guided-missile destroyer, will dock in Port of Spain from October 26-30 with members of the 22nd US Marine Expeditionary Unit on board.

The destroyer has advanced weapons systems, can operate helicopters and its recent activities include a deployment for counter-narcotics and maritime security operations in the Caribbean.

“The US military services’ presence in Trinidad and Tobago highlights the US commitment to regional security and cooperative efforts in the Caribbean.

“The visit strengthens US-Trinidad and Tobago military cooperation through expert exchanges focused on core infantry tactics, maintenance procedures and advanced medical capabilities, leveraging the TTDF’s facilities to enhance tactical proficiency and enhance mutual trust. These efforts strengthen interoperability, reinforce long-term defence cooperation and improve operational readiness among partner forces,” the ministry said in its statement.

The arrival of the warship comes a week after the US Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago, in an advisory warned American citizens to avoid visiting US government facilities in this country “due to a heightened state of alert” over the Divali holiday weekend.

Last weekend, the Guyana-based Caricom Secretariat said that Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders had met earlier this month to discuss several issues on the regional agenda, including the security build-up in parts of the Caribbean and its potential impact on member states.

It said that the position at that meeting was not endorsed by the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Kamla Persad-Bissessar led coalition government in Port of Spain, later issued a statement reiterating its position why it is standing apart from its Caricom neighbours saying that the United States military operations are “aimed at combating narco and human trafficking and other forms of transnational crime (and) are ultimately aimed at allowing the region to be a true ‘zone of peace’ where all citizens can in reality, live and work in a safe environment”.

The Persad-Bissessar administration has been hailed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for being part of an “alliance” of several Caribbean and Latin American countries.