The U.S. became the 20th nation to join the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) on Tuesday.
Established in 2006, ReCAAP’s mission is to enhance regional cooperation through information sharing, capacity building and cooperative arrangements in combating piracy and armed robbery against ships in the region.
It is the first government‐to‐government agreement to promote this type of enhanced collaboration for fighting piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.
Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Thomas, the assistant commandant for prevention policy, represented the U.S. as a governor on the ReCAAP council.
“The United States’ acceptance as part of the ReCAAP Governing Council continues our administration’s move to deepen our diplomatic, security and people-to-people ties with key Asian multilateral organizations,” said Thomas.