Jamaicans in the Diaspora will get a chance to interact with Prime Minister Andrew Holness this evening during the monthly series ‘Lets Connect’ hosted by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks.

Marks said today’s Christmas edition of her monthly forum will give the prime minister an opportunity to interact directly once again with the participants and deliver his Christmas message to the Diaspora.

Also scheduled to appear on the programme will be outstanding Jamaican-American doctor Robynne Chutkan, author of the new book The Anti-Viral: Gut Tackling Pathogens from the Inside Out.

In addition, author of the book Pieces of Jamaica: The Jam Rock Edition, Jamaican-American photographer David Muir, will also present his book in commemoration of Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence.

Holness arrived in the US on Tuesday for a five-day visit, from December 6-10 , and was met on arrival at the Ronald Reagan International Airport in Washington, DC, by Marks.

While in the US capital, the prime minister is scheduled to meet with state department officials to discuss enhanced security cooperation with the US.

He is expected to focus on areas of increased cooperation in light of the fact that a large number of US-based Jamaican-American dons have been influencing the rising crime levels and murder rates in Jamaica.

Holness was also scheduled to participate in a Congressional Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum at the United States Senate Building alongside congressional leaders and parliamentarians from around the world.

The forum, which is geared at developing security solutions through collaboration with the US and its allies, will see participation from more than 70 countries. Among the topics to be addressed at the forum are cybersecurity, human trafficking and money laundering.

The prime minister will also have meetings at the Department of Justice with the Attorney General’s Office to discuss the need to intensify action on the prosecution of targeted drug lords and leaders of various lottery scams.

In further support of his security agenda, Holness will be joined by the Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson for a working meeting with various security agencies to include the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

During a media briefing on Tuesday where he announced the declaration of states of emergency in eight parishes, Holness emphasised his intent on collaborating with the US security and intelligence agencies to benefit from their capabilities to monitor and curtail crimes in Jamaica that originate from gangs within the US who are masterminding international organised crimes and negatively impacting the peace and security of the country.

“They can’t feel that they are free to influence, direct, solicit, and finance crime in Jamaica. So I head to Washington to have meetings with the Justice Department, the FBI and other entities there, because I am serious,” Holness said.

“If you are overseas and your sponsorship is directing, soliciting, and financing crime in Jamaica, we are going to get you,” added Holness.