Cobra Gold 2017 kicked off

CHON BURI, THAILAND, February 14 (TNA) - The United States and Thailand have kicked off their joint annual military exercises, code named "Cobra Gold 2017", as the US side has stressed on strong military relations between Washington and Bangkok. US Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Glin T. Davies, Commander of the US-Pacific Command (USPACOM) Admiral Harry B. Haris, Jr. and Thai Supreme Commander General Surapong Suwannaat jointly inaugurated the Cobra Gold 2017 at the Royal Thai Marine Corps. in Sattahip area of seaside Chon Buri Province in the Thai East on Tuesday. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the USPACOM commander announced that Thailand is one of the United States' five largest allied nations in military drills. The USPACOM commander said 2018 will be the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and Thailand, when grand celebrations will be organised by the governments of both countries. The USPACOM commander also expressed his hope that Thailand will be back on the democratic track within a timeframe laid out by Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha in the national roadmap, expressing his belief that the Thai political situation has been on its positive development. The Thai armed forces chief, in turn, welcomed the USPACOM commander for personally visiting Thailand to follow up the annual joint drills this year, noting that there may be more countries, namely China and Russia, to join the annual Cobra Gold military exercises in the future if they are ready. The Cobra Gold 2017, in which a total of 8,333 military officers from 29 allied countries participate, is being conducted mainly in Sattahip and Wang Nam Khiao areas of Nakhon Ratchasima Province in the Thai Northeast. Seven major allied countries participating in the Cobra Gold 2017 include the United States, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand, while China and India are joining partly in humanitarian rescue exercises and 10 other allied nations are joining in the annual military drills as observers. (TNA)