US senator vows regional security help

US Senator Cory Gardner, chairman of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, yesterday said the US is committed to cooperating with Thailand to promote regional security and stability.

Sen Gardner yesterday held meetings with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, in charge of national security, to discuss cooperation in Indo-Pacific strategy and Thai-US cooperation against human trafficking, narcotics, intellectual property infringement as well as various degrees of transnational crimes.

Defence spokesman Kongcheep Tantravanich said the meeting was held as part of Sen Gardner’s visit to Thailand to celebrate the 185th anniversary of Thailand-United States diplomatic relations.

Besides measures against illegal activities, the meeting also zeroed in on bilateral and multilateral cooperation in military and security affairs as well as the economy.

During his visit to the Ministry of Defence, Sen Gardner praised Thailand for its progress in combatting human trafficking, adding he was pleased Thailand is scheduled to hold a general election early next year.

Gen Prawit, who is also defence minister, also delivered his thanks to Sen Gardner, insisting Thailand was willing to cooperate fully with the US to maintain peace and security in the neighbourhood, Lt Gen Kongcheep said.

Thai-US relations have i mproved because of several visits back and forth between both countries’ representatives, he added.

Gen Prawit also plans to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, a defence and security summit which kicked off in Singapore yesterday.

The deputy premier is scheduled to discuss cooperation on security affairs with defence ministers from the United Kingdom, Fiji, Singapore, the US and Asean member states.

Recently, the Thai defence council ordered the Defence Technology Institute and the ministry’s space affairs and cyber centre to assess the “THEIA” satellite project.