Vietnam praises US plans for maritime security assistance
Last updated: Wednesday, December 18, 2013 08:00
Vietnam appreciates the US Secretary of State John Kerry's commitment to help Vietnam enhance its maritime security capacity with material and financial aid, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong said Tuesday.
Cuong told the Vietnamese media that maritime security will become one of the fields in which Vietnam and the US will continue to boost cooperation to create a secured and peaceful marine environment.
During his official visit to Vietnam from December 14-16, Kerry announced an initial commitment of US$32.5 million in new regional and bilateral assistance to expand maritime capacity building in Southeast Asia.
With the new contribution, US maritime security assistance to the region will exceed $156 million over the next two years, AP quoted Kerry as saying.
In Vietnam, the US intends to provide $18 million in new assistance to enhance the capacity of coastal patrol units to deploy rapidly for search and rescue, disaster response, and other activities, beginning with training and the provision of five fast patrol vessels to the Vietnamese Coast Guard.
The US Department of State said in a release Monday that the Secretary’s announcement builds upon the longstanding US commitment to support the efforts of Southeast Asian nations in enhancing security and prosperity in the region, including in the maritime domain.
Thanh Nien News