Cohen pledges help for old ally Thailand<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Reuters): U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen
\npledged assistance to old ally Thailand yesterday, now
\nfinancially strapped and facing problems paying for military
\nequipment from the United States.<\/p>\n
Cohen, on the fourth leg of a 12-day seven-nation trip that
\nincludes China, went into talks with top Thai officials
\nimmediately after flying in from Singapore.<\/p>\n
\"You are one of our oldest friends. We have a strong treaty
\nrelationship with you. We know that you are currently
\nexperiencing difficulties but we hope that we can provide
\nassistance and support in a variety of different ways,\" Cohen
\ntold Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan.<\/p>\n
\"Thailand is very important for the security of the region,
\nvery important to the U.S., and we intend to explore ways during
\nmy very brief visit in which we can be helpful.<\/p>\n
\"We intend to maintain our very strong relationship and
\nfriendship with Thailand,\" he said as he went into the meeting
\nwith the foreign minister.<\/p>\n
Cohen also had a meeting planned later yesterday with Prime
\nMinister Chuan Leekpai.<\/p>\n
The Thai baht has lost more than half its value since it was
\nfloated last July, and Chuan said this week that Thailand would
\nask if it could delay payment for U.S. military equipment it has
\nalready purchased.<\/p>\n
Last month Bangkok announced it would delay by three years
\nuntil 2003 its planned $392.2 million purchase of eight U.S. F\/A-
\n18 Hornet jet fighters from Boeing Co.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials said they did not know whether any agreements
\nwould be made during Cohen's brief Bangkok visit. He flies to
\nBeijing today.<\/p>\n
Arms<\/p>\n
Several other Asian countries, including South Korea, have
\nalso said they would be forced to delay arms purchases because of
\nthe regional economic crisis that has forced many markets and
\ncurrencies sharply lower.<\/p>\n
Air Chief Marshal Thananit Niamchan, commander of the Royal
\nThai Air Force, said in December that Thailand would negotiate
\nwith Boeing on the F-18 sale.<\/p>\n
He said Boeing was expected to charge Thailand about 9 percent
\nof the project value, or $26 million, for delaying payment and
\ndelivery.<\/p>\n
But Cohen and U.S. defense officials traveling with him have
\nstressed to reporters that they were asking U.S. defense firms to
\nwork with financially strapped Asian countries to ease the strain
\non their coffers.<\/p>\n
Cohen said both the U.S. government and American arms makers
\nrealized how important it was to show allies in the region that
\nthey were dependable supporters in good times and in bad.<\/p>\n
While U.S.-Thai military ties have been close, Washington
\nangered Thai officials in 1996 by again turning down their latest
\nrequest for advanced air-to-air missiles.<\/p>\n
Thailand has been pressing for Aim-120 advanced medium-range
\nair-to-air missiles (AMRAAM) for the F-18s it has ordered.<\/p>\n
Washington has refused, fearing such equipment could start an
\narms race in Southeast Asia.<\/p>\n
The United States finessed the issue in the fall of 1996 by
\npromising in a letter that such a sale could eventually be made
\nupon \"mutual assessment\" that another country in the region had a
\ncomparable missile.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/cohen-pledges-help-for-old-ally-thailand-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}