Grenada – United States relations

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Grenada-United States relations)

Grenada-United States relations are bilateral relations between Grenada and the United States.

The U.S. Government established an embassy in Grenada in November 1983. The U.S. Ambassador to Grenada is resident in Bridgetown, Barbados. The embassy in Grenada is staffed by a chargé d'affaires who reports to the ambassador in Bridgetown.

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) played a major role in Grenada's development. In addition to the $45 million emergency aid for reconstruction from 2004's Hurricane Ivan, USAID provided more than $120 million in economic assistance from 1984 to 1993. About 25 Peace Corps volunteers in Grenada teach special education, remedial reading, and vocational training and assist with HIV/AIDS work. Grenada receives counter-narcotics assistance from the United States and benefits from U.S. military exercise-related construction and humanitarian civic action projects.

Grenada and the United States cooperate closely in fighting narcotics smuggling and other forms of transnational crime. In 1995, the United States and Grenada signed a maritime law enforcement treaty. In 1996, they signed a mutual legal assistance treaty and an extradition treaty as well as an over-flight/order-to-land amendment to the maritime law enforcement treaty. The United States continues to provide training, equipment, and materiel, including three vehicles in 2006, to Grenadian security and defense forces. Some U.S. military training is provided as well.

Grenada continues to be a popular destination for Americans. Of the 98,548 stayover visitors in 2005, 25,181 were U.S. citizens. It is estimated that some 2,600 Americans reside in the country, plus the 2,000 U.S. medical students who study at the St. George's University School of Medicine. (Those students are not counted as residents for statistical purposes.)

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials include:

Ambassador--Mary M. Ourisman
Deputy Chief of Mission--O.P. Garza
Chargé d'Affaires--Karen Jo McIsaac
Political/Economic Counselor--Ian Campbell
Consul General--Clyde Howard Jr.
Regional Labor Attaché--Jake Aller
Commercial Affairs--Jake Aller
Public Affairs Officer--John Roberts
Peace Corps Director--Kate Raftery

[edit] Embassies

All officials except the chargé d'affaires are located at the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados. The U.S. Embassy in Grenada is located in St. George's, Grenada.