The United States convened a formal U.S.-Caribbean Dialogue in Washington, bringing together senior American officials and Caribbean heads of government to reaffirm what Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau described as a historically grounded but long-neglected relationship. Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre joined Landau in opening remarks alongside Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Juan Pablo Segura and State Department Director for Caribbean Affairs Susan Walke.

Segura, sworn in as assistant secretary on August 14th and previously secretary of commerce and trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia under Governor Glenn Youngkin, framed the dialogue as a direct follow-through on a promise Secretary Rubio made earlier this year in Saint Kitts and Nevis: that the U.S. would "step up in the Caribbean." He outlined three objectives guiding the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs — uplifting the region through economic investment, ending the narcoterrorist threat across the hemisphere, and ending illegal immigration while preserving national sovereignty.

Segura also noted that many Caribbean counterparts were unaware of specific tools now available to them, citing two in particular: that President Trump has prioritized 20 percent of U.S. foreign assistance to the hemisphere, and that the mandate of the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has changed. Landau chairs the DFC board. Segura said he had observed encouraging engagement from Caribbean representatives at a recent OAS meeting but found a significant knowledge gap around these instruments.

Landau opened his remarks by asserting that "the United States is a Caribbean nation" — citing Puerto Rico's geography and Alexander Hamilton's origins in Nevis. He characterized the dialogue as "frankly, overdue" and stated that the Trump administration is "restoring" the Western Hemisphere to a position of "preeminence and priority" in American foreign policy, after what he described as a prolonged period of neglect in favor of more distant regions.

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