French Overseas Minister Naïma Moutchou meets young army recruits during her visit to the RSMA premises in Marigot. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--French Overseas Territories Minister Naïma Moutchou, in an extract from her speech about the pursuit at sea agreement signed on Tuesday, said France wishes to develop, with its European and Caribbean partners, a European anti-drug trafficking training academy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
This initiative will aim to strengthen specialised training, intelligence sharing and the inter-operability of services in the face of increasingly structured and transnational criminal networks.
The Minister was given a tour of the RSMA premises by Colonel Girieu (left) as Collectivité President Louis Mussington and Préfet Cyrille le Vély look on. (Robert Luckock photo)
Minister Naïma Moutchou (right)visited Mission Local where she was given a presentation by its President Raphaël Sanchez. (Robert Luckock photo)
“The Netherlands will naturally have a place in this enhanced cooperation,” she stated. “In the same spirit, France will organise a regional conference in Martinique in July 2026 on security issues in the Caribbean. This meeting will bring together the states and territories concerned by the common challenges of drug trafficking, organised crime, maritime security and crisis resilience.
The Netherlands will naturally be invited as a major partner in the region. Their experience, commitment and presence in the Caribbean are essential to regional balance and stability. We hope that this conference will further strengthen coordination between our services, enable the sharing of best practices and identify new avenues for operational cooperation.
“The agreement we are signing today is not an end in itself. It is a foundation. It reflects a conviction. What threatens one part of the island weakens the whole. What strengthens cooperation strengthens trust. And trust is the key to any sustainable action.
Next year will also mark 10 years since Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc. These commemorations will be a time for remembrance and responsibility. They will remind us of the strength of our solidarity, but also of our collective duty to anticipate, prepare and cooperate.
“By signing this text today, we affirm our shared determination to act, to protect our populations and to build an exemplary partnership in the service of stability and development in our region.”
The Minister and her entourage visited the offices of Mission Local in Marigot and also the new office branch of Régiment du Service Militaire Adapté (RSMA), where she chatted with young army recruits and was given a tour of the premises by Colonel Girieu. She also visited Mission Local next door, where she was given a presentation by President Raphaël Sanchez.
The Minister was interviewed by students from the Collège Mont Des Accords Radio Club,
before her final engagement, meeting and exchanging with association representatives in Collège Roche Gravée de Moho in the afternoon.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/france-wants-to-establish-a-european-training-academy-against-drug-trafficking
