US Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus. Nuku'alofa, Tonga, 10 May 2013.

By Linny Folau

The United States Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said security and stability in the Pacific is important to the United States, reflected in an ongoing strong commitment that would see them put more emphasis and more of their assets into the region.

During a two-day visit to Tonga on May 9-10, Secretary Mabus meeting the press today at the Tonga Defence Headquarters, said the United States' commitment to the Pacific region is strong, enduring and will continue.

He said President Barack Obama had announced a little over a year ago their new defence strategy in which they are going to "rebalance" to the Pacific.

"For the navy that means by the end of this decade 60 percent of our fleet will be in the Pacific consisting of our newest and most capable ships. The U.S Marine have rotational presence in Australia and we are going to have both rotational and permanent residence of marines in Guam and Hawaii. We are a Pacific nation and this is where we see so much of our future economics, and the pathway that America will take involves its relationship with the Pacific," he said.

Security

Secretary Mabus said regional security and stability is important to everyone and the Pacific represents such a large part of the trade that goes between America and the rest of the world.

"The significance is that we learn from our interaction here in the Pacific but it is also a recognition of how much of our future is dependent on our relationship with the region. The US Navy never left the Pacific but we are putting more emphasis and even more of our assets to the region," he said.

Tonga

He commended on Tonga's good relationship with the U.S., which goes far beyond Tonga's military contribution to Afghanistan, and before that, Iraq. "Tonga's military contribution has been very professional, of well trained military and we are deeply appreciative of that," he said.

"President Obama had said Tonga is one the U.S.A.'s most important and enduring relationships not only in the Pacific but in the world. I hope that my visit to Tonga underscores the importance we place on our relationship. Tonga has also received high level visits from the U.S and I think these visits are indicative of how much importance and weight we put on this relationship," he said.

Secretary Mabus also announced they are bringing back to Tonga the Pacific Partnership from June 12-22.

He said the mission will be led the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor and will conduct training, medical, veterinarian and construction work with the Tongan people in terms of schools and clinics. Its the third time Tonga hosts the partnership but the eighth time the partnership is held overall.

"This would be good cooperation between the militaries and between Americans and Tongans," he said. 

Secretary Mabus who is the leader of the United States Navy and Marine Corps is responsible for an annual budget of over $170 billion and for almost 900,000 people, left Tonga this afternoon on a trip that includes Singapore and Afghanistan.