US, Thai military cooperation remains sound

BANGKOK, July 21 (TNA) - Military cooperation between the United States and Thailand remains sound, with Washington maintaining its military assistance to Bangkok. Lieutenant General Sermsak Niyamosot, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Royal Thai Army, in his capacity as the head of a Royal Thai Army delegation, told journalists of the joint position on Tuesday, after co-chairing a meeting of the US-Thai Army Executive Steering Group (ESG) with the visiting US delegation, the 4th of its kind, in Bangkok. Lieutenant General Sermsak stressed the US delegation confirmed that the US army has not reduced its military assistance to the Thai side and expressed its understanding about Thailand's situation. Lieutenant General Sermsak assessed that after Thailand's democratic general election, set in 2016 based on the ongoing roadmap of the army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), military cooperation between Washington and Bangkok should fully return to normal, thanks to long-standing relations between the US and the Thai armed forces. The 4th ESG meeting between the US and the Thai armies, hosted by Bangkok from July 21-24, was aimed to further develop military cooperation between the United States and Thailand and to review activities agreed to be jointly implemented this year and to lay out joint military action plans for 2016. (TNA)