“Through Pacific Partnership and other efforts, the United States aims to support Vietnam’s goals and objectives while building interoperability with our regional partners and allies to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” said U.S. Consul General Mary Tarnowka.  

Pacific Partnership began in response to one of the world’s most catastrophic natural disasters, the December 2004 tsunami, that devastated parts of South and Southeast Asia.  The mission has evolved over the years from emphasis on direct care to enhancing partnerships through host nation subject matter expert and civil-military exchanges.

Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific region, and is a joint effort between the host nation and partner nations that include Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and the United Kingdom to strengthen disaster response preparedness around the Indo-Pacific region.

Viet Nam is one of several host nations for Pacific Partnership 2019.  Mission teams also stopped in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Philippines, the Federated States of Micronesia, Malaysia, and Timor-Leste, and will conclude in Thailand.  Experts in the fields of engineering, medicine, and disaster response will partner with each host nation to conduct civic-action projects, community health exchanges, medical symposiums, and disaster response exercises.