Thai army chief attends Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference X

BANGKOK, Sept 17 (TNA) - Army commander-in-chief Gen Chalermchai Sitthisart has left for the Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference X (PACC X) set in South Korea on Sept 17-19. He did not give an interview to reporters waiting for him at Suvarnabhumi airport. The conference is organized every two years. The United States always hosts it with countries in the Pacific region taking turns to be its co-host. Representatives of armies from 28 countries in the Pacific region attend the conference. The topic of this year’s conference is Unity of Effort: Building Civil-Military Partnerships in Land Force Response to Non-Traditional Security Threats. Simultaneously there is a forum of non-commissioned officers in the Pacific region. The Royal Thai Army sends non-commissioned officers from the 2nd army to the forum. PACC X will be officially opened on Sept 18. It includes bilateral and multilateral meetings, a speech by Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations, and forums on issues of common interests. On the occasion, the Thai army chief will have bilateral talks with his Australian, Japanese, American, Philippine and South Korean counterparts. PACC X is a good venue for army chiefs in the Pacific region to meet and exchange information and opinions on security issues and also a forum for discussions on joint development and cooperation projects that will boost Thai and regional security. (TNA)