Georgetown, GINA, January 18, 2004

A United States Coast Guard Vessel Gentian is currently in Guyana for a cooperation visit.
The Captain and its 52-member crew hosted a reception last evening aboard the vessel anchored in Port Georgetown.
President Bharrat Jagdeo attended the event and interacted with the Captain, crew and other invitees.
In an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Captain Joseph Vojvodich said the voyage is one made by the vessel to several countries in the Caribbean basin.
“Our mission is to improve regional cooperation among countries and through improvement of maritime service, and in this case, we are here working with the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard,” he said.
The cooperation takes the form of training in seamanship, law enforcement and navigation. The vessel brings supplies for the GDF Coast Guard.
Gentian will be in Guyana for four day and sails on Tuesday evening.
Among its 52 members is a Guyanese. Two thirds of the vessel’s crew are from countries other than the US.
US Ambassador to Guyana Roland Bullen, who was at the Reception, noted that the cooperation is part of Caribbean Plan of Action started in 1997 when former US President Bill Clinton met Caribbean Leaders in Barbados.
“It has been an effective programme working with Caribbean Coast Guards,” he said.
This is the fifth such visit to Guyana in four years.
Among those present were members of the diplomatic community and Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin.