Vietnam to observe Thai-U.S. exercises

Vietnam to observe Thai-U.S. exercises

BANGKOK (AFP): Vietnam will observe Thai-U.S. military exercises for the first time along with other members of ASEAN, less than a year after normalizing relations with Washington, a military official said yesterday.

Vietnam will attend the Cobra Gold 1996 maneuvers, involving 10,000 Thai and 9,500 U.S. military personnel, on May 17 along with other observers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Thai Supreme Command official said.

The invitation by Thailand comes almost 10 months after Washington normalized relations with Hanoi and Vietnam joined ASEAN, set up in 1967 as a bulwark against communist expansion in the region, as a full member.

It is the first time all members of the Southeast Asian grouping have been invited to attend the air, sea and land maneuvers, which are being held from May 2-24 in southern Thailand, the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea.

ASEAN groups Vietnam with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.