Readout of Vice President Harris's Call with Prime Minister Holness of Jamaica

Vice President Kamala Harris today spoke with Prime Minister Andrew Holness of Jamaica to congratulate him and the people of Jamaica upon the 60th anniversary of its independence.

The Vice President informed Prime Minister Holness that the United States will provide $2 million in support of the creation of a Cyber Center of Excellence to be located in Jamaica for the benefit of the region, and they discussed the importance of greater investment in cybersecurity.

The Vice President and Prime Minister Holness welcomed progress made on three short-term joint U.S.-Caribbean committees that President Biden and the Vice President launched in June to produce concrete, near-term solutions to urgently address food security, energy security, and finance challenges confronting the region.

This call is part of the Biden-Harris Administration's ongoing efforts to elevate engagement with Caribbean leaders given our shared interests and common bonds. The Vice President met with Prime Minister Holness on March 30, where they discussed a range of issues including security, COVID recovery, and economic growth. On April 29, the Vice President convened Caribbean leaders virtually and on June 9, President Biden and the Vice President convened Caribbean leaders at the Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. In today's call and throughout these engagements, the Vice President made clear the United States, as a neighbor in the Western Hemisphere, values our partnerships with Caribbean nations and that we are committed to addressing the region's most pressing issues together.