Guatemala City, by Julio Morales -AGN- Through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government of Guatemala issued an official statement regarding the visit of United States officials to our country. President Alejandro Giammattei met with U.S. officials Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, and Eric Jacobstein, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs covering Central America at the U.S. Department of State.
During the meeting, Deputy Secretary Verma expressed gratitude, on behalf of President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, for Guatemala’s cooperation on the following issues:
- fight against transnational crime
- drug trafficking
- actions such as the destruction of precursor chemicals
- the current administration’s efforts to facilitate the extradition of persons linked to crime and drug trafficking
Global coalition
They also stressed the need to promote a global coalition to address the fentanyl phenomenon affecting the region and agreed with President Giammattei that regional problems must be addressed regionally.
In addition, the Deputy Secretary also thanked the diplomatic support to Israel and Ukraine and the efforts of the Government of Guatemala and the President in favor of peace.
Safe Mobility Offices
Deputy Secretary Verma congratulated our country for being the first to implement the Safe Mobility Offices Plan in the region. This plan aims to promote actions on migration control, encouraging orderly and safe migration.
He also indicated that the U.S. Government will analyze the possibility of expanding the benefits of these offices in the country.
Government Transition Process
Concerning the governmental transition process, Undersecretary Verma added that the U.S. Government is satisfied with the implemented actions and the statements made by President Alejandro Giammattei regarding the operation of an orderly, efficient, and transparent transition.
Finally, the press release stated that the visit of the U.S. officials strengthens democratic values and highlights the excellent relations between Guatemala and the U.S. on issues of binational interest.
