 It is an honor to be here with you today to represent U.S. Southern Command and General Richardson as well as the Department of Defense of the United States of America as we donate and do a handover ceremony from the United States Southern Command to St. Lucia. As I already stated, this Mobile Field Hospital is self-contained, 40 beds can be sectioned off to do treatment of whatever the country decides to do and use it for its intended purposes of whether it be medical, disaster relief, etc. What I will tell you, it is a donation. There are no strings attached. The only thing we ask is that you use it professionally, purposefully in treatment of the country, the people of St. Lucia. I am thankful for this unique opportunity. In Southern Command, we have three lines of effort. Countering threats, strengthening partnerships, and building teams. An event such as this does all of that. And I am glad to be here to share this with you today. You also heard mention there are three vehicles being donated as well to be the fire service from what I am told and they will be used appropriately again in support of St. Lucia. They always told me be brief, be brilliant, and be gone. So I can only control the other two. Be brief and be gone. You determine whether anything I said was brilliant or not. So with that, again, I appreciate the opportunity to be part of the Handover Ceremony. I appreciate the opportunity to be here in St. Lucia. This is my first time here but I promise you it won't be my last. Thank you very much for the opportunity to share this with you today. It is indeed a great honour and a privilege to be given this opportunity to address this gathering on the success of this project. I am delighted that we have come to this very critical part of NIMO's collaboration with the United States Southern Command, United States Embassy in Bridgetown Barbados, where we can see the immense benefits to the people of St. Lucia. Upon my appointment as the Director of NIMO in January 2019, I was introduced to Miss Janice Linton, Administrative Assistant at the Military Liaison Office at the United States Embassy, U.S. Southern Command in Bridgetown Barbados. Miss Linton is a very passionate and dedicated individual who provided us with the necessary tools and information to allow St. Lucia to benefit from the U.S. Southern Command Humanitarian Assistance Program, in the areas of disaster preparedness and this disaster risk reduction. This relationship with Miss Linton would prove to be timely and fruitful as NIMO was in the process of prepositioning supplies for our main warehouse and the 18 satellite warehouses island-wide. Time does not permit me to say much about Miss Linton, but let me however place on record my gratitude for Miss Linton for support and guidance and of course for the hand-holding during the early period of our engagement to ensure that our proposals were done correctly. In early 2020, as the COVID pandemic reached our shores of the Caribbean region, the focus shifted to responding and ensuring that first responders had the necessary resources to cope adequately with the added demands of responding to the pandemic. This increased need for resources demanded coordination with international and regional donor agencies. We acknowledge that with all the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic that collaborative efforts and partnerships were the most critical tools to battle this enemy. This partnership with the U.S. Southern Command was solidified when Miss Linton reached out to the office of the director to inform of the availability of funding for purchasing of personal protective equipment for our first responders. These included N95 masks, shoes, shoe covers, disposable gowns, hair nets, sanitizers among other essential supplies. This was one of many such donations from the U.S. MLO under the HAAP program towards COVID-19 response. Another success through this collaboration was the donation of a supply of mattresses to augment our prepositioning of supplies for disaster events which was received in September 2020. I must report that these mattresses were well received and served us well in our response to Hurricane Elsa in July 2021. Let me fast forward to an overview of the project here today. Initial discussions with Miss Linton on the acquisition of a field hospital for St. Lucia began in March 2021 at the peak of the third wave of the pandemic. The dialogue was for a 40-bed field medical hospital for the department of health and wellness. It was deemed necessary because of the increase in the number of cases on island. The field hospital was intended to divert some of the pressures away from the respiratory hospital and to augment the department of health and wellness in its area such as PCR testing, vaccination to civilian population. It was also to provide other medical services and to respond to other local emergencies that may overwhelm the capacity of the country's hospital and the medical centers. The donation of this field hospital provided the tent infrastructure and features a generator, a power system, air conditioning, sinks, and water system along with toilets and showers. The total cost of this field hospital is estimated at US $600,000 and is manufactured by Western shelter systems. The people of St. Lucia are indeed grateful for this gift. St. Lucia also benefited from a donation of three vehicles for the St. Lucia fire service which included a Nissan flatbed truck, an eight-passenger Nissan van, as well as a 19-passenger Hinobus. The St. Lucia fire service is the agency responsible for domestic and aerodrome firefighting, hazmat emergencies, emergency medical and trauma response, and search and rescue operations. The agency provides essential service during natural disasters and pandemics, emergencies requiring the evacuation of civilians. These vehicles will also allow for quick deployment of fire personnel in the above-mentioned disaster crisis and will also complement the efforts of the district disaster committees in the evacuation of multiple civilians in disaster-affected communities. Operational activities will be enhanced, thus preventing delays due to frequent breakdowns. The total cost of all three vehicles is US $45,000. In closing, I would like to express my gratitude to the US Ambassador to Barbados and the OECS and also to the United States government through its military liaison office at the US Embassy Bridge Town Barbados for its continued commitment and support to St. Lucia and the region by extension. And again, I would like to thank Ms. Linton. She is not here, but she has served us well in this part of the region. Again, I thank you. The team leaders and staff of the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs are elated to be associated with today's historic handover ceremony. The donation of vehicles and this 40-bed field hospital equipped with beds, heating, ventilation, a conditioning unit, lighting, sewage system, shower facilities, a generator, and so on at a cost of US $600,000 is indeed a powerful statement about friendship and solidarity between the people of St. Lucia and the people of the United States of America. This donation to St. Lucia is timely, not only because of the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on local hospital resources, but as a practical response to increasing climate change-related threats. There are so many frightening possibilities, especially for small island states. This gift, the field hospital behind me, will be critical in the face of disasters and other national health-related challenges. We are now in the middle of a fifth wave of COVID-19 infections, and while we are hopeful that hospitalizations will remain manageable at this time, we will stretch to our limits at our 130-bed respiratory hospital, the Victoria Hospital, during the fourth wave of the crisis in St. Lucia. So, as an example, this donated facility gives us the ability to expand the respiratory facility by some 40 beds and to manage at least eight more patients in the intensive care unit. The ability to quickly set up and take down the field hospital will allow the Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Management Organization to position this facility to best serve its intended use. We appreciate the technical expertise provided by the United States Southern Command humanitarian assistance team who provided the requisite training to a wide range of participants from the St. Lucia Fire Service, the Royal St. Lucia Police Force, the St. Lucia Cadet Corps, the Division of Physical Planning and the Ministry of Health personnel among so many others. The Ministry of Health Wellness and Elderly Affairs appreciates the collaborative efforts between the U.S. Southern Command Team and the National Emergency Management Organization in facilitating the donation of this field hospital. I must also in a special way thank the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and diaspora affairs for their contribution in coordinating with the relevant counterparts in the United States of America in making this donation possible. I pinch a little more time to thank the staff of our hospitals and all of the staff of our essential services for the dedication to this COVID-19 battle. I recognize the efforts of the staff of the Ministry of Health and the efforts of the non-governmental agencies, the ministry, all ministries, the private sector and the faith-based organizations. Indeed, we all understand that the battle against COVID-19 is a national one. Thanks to the Prime Minister and my cabinet colleagues for helping us to soldier on. I will not forgive myself. I want to thank all of you for coming to this hospital. This is a hospital that governs America and we all live here. I am very happy to be here today. I am very happy to welcome all of these medical equipment that are being presented to us as a set of services. This is a hospital in Cacuye along with the Field Hospital. This is a special case that is being presented to all of the people who have entered this hospital. This is a glow, is a current, is a generator. This is all the equipment that a doctor has ordered. fruits of friendship, and I promise Excellency Tagliatella that we will protect, maintain and preserve this precious gift of friendship. Once again, on behalf of all the teams at our hospitals, the staff of the ministry, and all the people of St. Lucia, Merci and Shai pokado. I thank you very much. Thank you. Today is not a product of an accident of history. The seed of bilateral cooperation was first planted by St. Lucia and the United States of America in 1979, when St. Lucia first emerged as a sovereign nation, free to determine her development trajectory. That seed for the last 43 years has been nurtured, and today we have a perfect example of the fruits which have emerged from that initial seed. Development cooperation, be it bilateral or multilateral, is often underestimated and often overlooked. But today I will emphasize that it is a crucial component in each and every mechanism that drives a country's development agenda. In today's global environment, characterized by interconnectivity, it is virtually impossible for any one state to operate in isolation. This is particularly true for small island developing states like St. Lucia, which do not possess the capacity to address the spectrum of economic, socio-cultural and environmental challenges that cannot at times feel insurmountable. I have said before, and I will say again, small island developing states like ours are always challenged to build that impregnable substratum of economic and technological self-determination, and therefore we have to insert ourselves into wider economic frameworks to try to give ourselves an opportunity to navigate a very turbulent and hostile external environment. All debates surrounding development and growth center on the achievement of agenda 2030 are what we call the sustainable development goals. Of the 17 goals, the one which serves as a catalyst for attainment of all orders is goal number 17, partnership. In a 1963 department of state bulletin, President John F. Kennedy affirmed that and I quote, partnership is not a posture but a process, a continuous process that grows stronger each year as we devote ourselves to common tasks, salient and timelessly appropriate words from the former US president. Development is not a goal isolated to the developing world. It is a global objective, a common objective, and so we must all participate and embrace the collective that we focus on common objectives of humanity. And it is in the supreme interest of this particular assignment that we are guarded here this morning. In 2020, a common enemy emerged and we saw the whole world recruiting soldiers to fight against that common enemy. This enemy emerged and exposed every deficiency, exploited every loophole and rendered useless what were thought to be the strongest spotifications. The COVID-19 pandemic, decimated countries, big and small, exploited interconnectivity, using borders to launch microscopic attacks, feeding xenophobia and pitting state against state. We now find ourselves in a precarious situation, having to strike a balance between state autonomy and interdependency. And today we see the importance of the latter. Today's donation of a field hospital and free vehicles is only the most recent example of the fruits born of interdependency. Though most recently the bulk of our assistance from the US has been geared primarily towards addressing the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the years. Through the efforts of the Ministry of External Affairs, St. Lucia has been the recipient of US assistance in several areas that are key strategic pillars in our development agenda. Allow me to highlight a few as I prepare to close. In terms of citizen security, under the $6.4 million juvenile justice reform program too, assistance was given to St. Lucia to advance our agenda of rehabilitating and reintegrating divergent youth into society. In terms of education, by way of the ConnectED project, St. Lucia was the recipient of US$1 million as a grant aimed at facilitating teacher resilience and improving the capacity of teachers to provide quality teaching in this new era of digital literacy. In terms of resilience, via the $4.5 million USAID Caribbean Climate Resilience Initiative, the US has provided phenomenal assistance with regard to mitigating the effects of natural disasters and strengthening community systems to enable better and more efficient and effective responses to the threats posed by climate change. In terms of health, I can speak at length about the vaccine donations received from the US, both through COVAX, the COVAX facility, and direct donations from the US. I also can speak at length about the funding provided for purchasing PPE, but today, on behalf of the government and people of St. Lucia, I extend deepest and sincerest gratitude to the government of the United States of America for this very significant donation. This 40-bed field hospital with an estimated value of US$600,000 will play a crucial role in bolstering St. Lucia's response to natural disasters and, of course, to the ongoing pandemic. The free vehicles will better equip our fire service as they will address concerns regarding transportation and enable our firemen and firewomen to more quickly and more efficiently respond to the needs of our population and save lives in the process. As I am on final approach to land, I reiterate the need for continued and expanded collaboration between St. Lucia and the United States of America. If we are to make significant headway in fending off the unremitting attacks, the attacks that will not stop by this COVID-19 pandemic and further our mutual development objectives including security, climate change, and economic prosperity, we must continue to find ourselves in setting like this. And if I may reach out for Desmond Tutu, who once said, and I quote, exclusion is never the way forward on our shared paths to freedom and justice, unquote. Madam Ambassador, we value your friendship and your continuous desire to work with the government of St. Lucia in ensuring that like the majestic and iconic American eagle, we fly at an altitude in these turbulent times. Today, St. Lucia renews its commitment to the United States of America. As we work together, the people of St. Lucia, the government of St. Lucia, together with the people and government of the United States of America to live a better world for future generations to inherit. May we continue to join hands on this shared path to freedom and justice. May God bless us all. I thank you very much. I am truly pleased and honored to be part of this important donation of a 40-bed field hospital and three utility vehicles valued at approximately $2 million from the United States government to the government of St. Lucia. This field hospital is yet another demonstration of our commitment to the health and well-being of our partners in the hemisphere. Our donation of this critically needed medical infrastructure will increase the ability of St. Lucia to address the ongoing pandemic and meet future challenges from natural disasters. The past two years have been a challenging period for the entire world. No one has been spared from the impact of this global pandemic. But since the beginning, the United States has stood side by side with the people of St. Lucia. First, we donated thousands of testing kits and PPEs. Next, we delivered nearly 170,000 doses of COVID vaccines, which are government readily available to the people of St. Lucia. And now, as we begin 2022, this donation of the field hospital and vehicles enhance our partnership further. We are fought together and we will win. This is what we call a whole of government effort. Through diplomacy, defense, development resources, the United States has led the global health response to COVID-19. Here in St. Lucia, USAID is supporting the vaccine efforts. We're strengthening the digital information systems to monitor vaccine coverage. We're facilitating the safe transportation of vaccines and we're working with you to communicate that vaccines help prevent sickness and save lives. It has been a long road and we're not out of the woods yet. But if we each do our part together, we can end this pandemic. With members of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force gathered, I would be remiss not to mention how our law enforcement and security cooperation continues despite the many challenges of COVID. Last October, the United States partnered with the regional security system to conduct a law enforcement tabletop exercise that focused on maritime interdiction and prosecution. And I want to take a moment to thank those participants from the Royal St. Lucia Police Force for their contributions to the exercise. St. Lucia law enforcement officers also continued to take part in training courses offered by the United States supported International Law Enforcement Academy or ILEA. There together we learn how to battle other threats that don't recognize borders including human trafficking and cyber crime. Finally, I am pleased to announce the beginning next month the United States Southern Command will resume sending St. Lucia Marine Unit personnel to technical and professional military education training in the United States. This training is a part of the resumption of the security assistance to the St. Lucia Coast Guard. Our support will bolster the unit's ability to conduct maritime operations and keep St. Lucia waters safe for everyone. I am proud that our partnership continues to grow stronger and it does so because of the people at the heart of it. The Field Hospital will support your rapid deployment of first responders and medical personnel to where they are needed most. I applaud their commitment and that of all the frontline workers to the health and well-being of their fellow citizens. Fighting this pandemic will take significant resources and a collective effort amongst all of us. The United States will continue to stand with you. We are your partner. We are your friend. We are your collaborators. We will not rest in work to restore the shared health and prosperity of the region. Thank you. Today, we are witnessing another tangible gesture of friendship and support to the government and people of St. Lucia from the government and people of the United States towards St. Lucia's effort at combating the COVID-19 pandemic. Your Excellency, not too long ago, on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, you visited St. Lucia to deliver the first batch of Pfizer vaccines donated by the United States of America to help us combat the pandemic. Today, you have returned to ANOVA a field hospital and three vehicles. The field hospital will significantly augment St. Lucia's physical health infrastructure, enhance our disaster response readiness, and enable the provision of medical assistance in remote areas if necessary. But more importantly, at this critical time, it will equip the country with a standby capacity to manage any severe virus spike or other emergency. Like most countries, the world over, St. Lucia has managed the pandemic in many stages by relying heavily on scientific evidence to guide our response strategy. We have moved from the early days of shutdown measures aimed at preventing the entry of the virus into the country to vigorous containment of in-country spread to managing how to live with the COVID-19 virus. My government believes in the protection of both lives and livelihoods of our people. In spite of the difficult and trying physical situation faced by my government, we will continue to provide support in all sectors of the economy, in particular health education, and to the most vulnerable persons in our society, and continue to meet our commitments. But our people must take responsibility for their health status if we are serious about defeating the COVID-19 virus. Too many persons are still unvaccinated in spite of the availability of vaccines in St. Lucia. Vaccines, according to the science, are best defense amongst a number of public health interventions, which we have to adopt personally and collectively. As we accept the philosophy in preparation to combat most likely what's the fifth wave of the virus, I call on all unvaccinated solutions to vaccinate, to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community against the COVID-19 virus. Should the population, according to the science, achieve a 70% vaccination life, we'll simply begin to return to a state of normalcy in our country. We are looking forward to the day when we'll be free to socialize at work, at church, at school, at restaurants, at squatting facilities, etc., like we do, bring our lives back to normal. We in St. Lucia have a long and successful history of using vaccines to protect our people from infectious diseases. Vaccines have enabled society to manage and overcome many diseases, such as measles, smallpox, polio, yellow fever, among others. We should feel confident about the safety and effectiveness of the COVID-19 virus as the virus can be fought by the vaccine. Let us not be distracted by the constant bombardment of misinformation about the utility of vaccines. By fellow solutions, high levels of vaccination in the population means low levels of people getting seriously ill from COVID-19, lower levels of hospitalization, and fewer deaths of loved ones. Excellency, I thank you and Mr. Bostick for being here in person to witness this handover ceremony. I thank you for the keen interest which you continue to show in the development of St. Lucia. I am aware that the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs, and I thank the minister and his ministry for their work in ensuring that we've got the hospital and the vehicles. You all are working towards the establishment of a structured cooperation framework for development cooperation between St. Lucia and the United States of America. My government is very supportive of this initiative. The seeds were sown earlier and we believe that such a framework will promote and facilitate greater bilateral collaboration between our governments. I'm happy to receive these donations on behalf of the government and people of St. Lucia. I want to express my profound gratitude of the government and people of St. Lucia to the government and people of the United States of America for the donation of the field hospital and the free vehicles. I also want to take this opportunity to say to the people of St. Lucia and to you, Excellency, that very soon we shall be returning to the side of St. Jude to give the people of St. Lucia a modern, well-equipped hospital. They have suffered too long, the people in the south in particular, without proper hospital facilities, and very soon we shall be returning and I am sure we shall invite you to be here when we have efficient and proper health premises for the people of St. Lucia, very soon. I also want to take this opportunity to thank the staff of the Ministry of Health and the first responders and doctors and nurses and all the medical personnel who worked in the fight against COVID and thank the people of St. Lucia for understanding that we must make shared sacrifice. The fight against COVID is a shared sacrifice. All of us, every sector was getting involved. No one sector is going to be a whole of government approach, but it's also got to be a whole of people together. On behalf of the St. Lucia Fire Service, the management and staff by thanking the U.S. Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean for the donation of those three vehicles, rest assured that we'll put it to very good use and it will assist us greatly in enhancing our emergency services to the people and visitors to St. Lucia to fight COVID and other emergencies. So once again, thank you so much and we'll take very, very good care of those vehicles.