Tillerson to travel to Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia: State Dept

 

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends a joint news conference with Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha, Qatar, July 11, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon/Files

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia Aug. 5 to Aug. 9, the State Department said on Tuesday.

 

Tillerson will participate in meetings of diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila, and discuss "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maritime security, and counterterrorism," the State Department said.

 

In Thailand, Tillerson will pay his respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, and discuss the U.S.-Thai relationship with officials there. In Malaysia, he will discuss bilateral relations with officials.

 

"Secretary Tillerson's travel reaffirms the Administration's commitment to further broaden and enhance U.S. economic and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region," the State Department said.

 

(Reporting by Yeganeh Torbati)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-08-02

Who cares he is travelling, just another junket on taxpayers money.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

discuss the U.S.-Thai relationship with officials there

That can be done with a phone call and please call collect. There's little US-Thai relationship thanks to Prayut.

Anything that needs to be said with regard to Thailand can be done at the meetings of diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila.