As ties deepen, elite U.S., Vietnam forces eye possible opening

Vietnamese Navy honour guard march to take position prior to the arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama for a welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi, Vietnam May 23, 2016. REUTERS/Hoang Dinh Nam/Pool

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Special operations forces from the United States and Vietnam are signalling a readiness to start forging ties should their governments choose to do so, in what would be a major step in relations between militaries that were at war 4-1/2 decades ago.

Rear Admiral Colin Kilrain, who leads U.S. Special Operations Forces in the Asia-Pacific region, told Reuters in an interview that he met the commander from Vietnam's elite forces on the sidelines of a conference in Tampa, Florida, this week.