Pacific Partnership 2023 has concluded its first mission stop in the southern province of Phu Yen.
Representatives from Pacific Partnership 2023 leadership, US Consulate of Vietnam and Vietnamese government pose for a group photo during the Pacific Partnership 2023 closing ceremony. Now in its 18th year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Megan Alexander).
At the closing ceremony on August 18, alongside Vice Chairman of Phu Yen Provincial People’s Committee Dao My, US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper and Pacific Partnership 2023 mission commander US Navy Captain Claudine Caluori extolled the important role of Pacific Partnership in the United States and Vietnam relationship.
“Pacific Partnership is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to security cooperation and people-to-people ties,” said US Ambassador Knapper. “This was demonstrated across Phu Yen over the last two weeks by the engineers, medical professionals, and subject matter experts who have worked closely with their Vietnamese counterparts to connect with the people of Phu Yen and help improve their lives.”
Having returned to Vietnam for the 12th time, Pacific Partnership enables participants, including US and Vietnamese personnel, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.
While in Phu Yen, Pacific Partnership 2023 completed 120 subject matter expert exchanges in the areas of public health and preventive medicine at community health engagements, 11 dental events, serving more than 500 patients, 93 surgeries, five of which were pediatric, and 64 people received nutritional counseling. Over 100 Pacific Partnership and Vietnamese personnel worked side-by-side at Phu Yen Hospital triaging patients from simulated disasters.
Exchanges in engineering, humanitarian and disaster response, and culture actively engaged the community of Phu Yen and highlighted the positive people-to-people ties between the United States and Vietnam.
“The numbers of all that were completed during Pacific Partnership 2023’s week and a half mission stop in Tuy Hoa embodies the mission’s values of enhancing humanitarian response and disaster relief,” said Caluori. “I would like to thank the Government of Vietnam for welcoming my team and look forward to seeing Vietnam’s relationship with the United States prosper for years to come.”
