US, Prawit discuss cooperation

US Defence Minister James Mattis has pledged to work more closely with Thailand to foster security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Washington also recognised Thailand as a focal point for carrying out plans to support new US strategies in the region.

Closer cooperation between US and Thai troops can support a key new strategy — a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, Gen Mattis said as he met Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon during his visit to the Pentagon from April 21 to 27.

The strategy, introduced by US President Donald Trump when he visited the Vietnamese city of Da Nang last year, is aimed at ensuring the region becomes “free from coercion … free in terms of good governance, in terms of fundamental rights”, and “by open, we first and foremost mean open sea lines of communication and open airways”, according to US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Alex N Wong.

Gen Prawit assured the US that Thailand will work closely with Washington in air and sea-related initiatives, including Maritime Domain Awareness and Movement Coordination Centre-Pacific.

The first focuses on a move to build an understanding of maritime issues that might affect security, economy and environment in the region.

The other, also known as MCC-P, is the US initiative seeking cooperation for better air logistics in the region.

The Thai Defence Ministry is also preparing to sign a military agreement with US authorities in September this year. The new cooperation, named Master Information Exchange Agreement, is intended to support joint military research and development between the two countries.