NR 12.130 - June 27, 2012
OTTAWA – Today, the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, concluded his two-day visit in Jamaica by cutting the ribbon on the Caribbean Military Maritime Training Centre (CMMTC) in Port Royal.
“I am proud that Canada continues to build upon its defence cooperation with the Jamaican Defence Forces by establishing the Caribbean Military Maritime Training Centre,” said Minister MacKay. “Defence relations and cooperation between our two countries have grown significantly in recent years. We continue to explore further opportunities to enhance our cooperation with Jamaica, to support broader capacity building in the Caribbean and to work alongside partners to help strengthen regional security. The training centre provides us with an excellent opportunity to do just that.”
The training centre will help develop some of the key capabilities of the JDF with the goal to better enable Jamaica to provide naval training in the region. Like the Jamaica Military Aviation School, the CMMTC aims to build capacity in Jamaica and thereby will help strengthen regional security.
CMMTC is set to provide military maritime training to both regional and international Coast Guard organizations. The Centre will serve as a regional training establishment that seeks the participation of both students and instructional staff from across the Caribbean and Central America.
During his two-day visit, Minister MacKay and the Jamaican Minister of National Security Peter Bunting also signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a Canadian Operational Support Hub in Jamaica.
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