Washington DC, June 12: US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is slated to embark on an official four-nation visit to South Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, and India starting from June 24 to June 30 in a bid to bolster partnership with the said nations and to enhance the aim of an open and free Indo-Pacific region, the US state department has said on Tuesday.
According to ANI news reports, Pompeo’s first visit will be New Delhi, which will mark his first visit after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed the office for the straight second term.
In an official statement, state department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said, “In New Delhi, Secretary Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar to discuss our ambitious agenda for the US-India strategic partnership.”
The statement added, “Prime Minister Modi’s recent election victory provides an excellent opportunity for him to implement his vision for a strong and prosperous India that plays a leading role on the global stage.”
The state secretary will then pay a visit to Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, where he is slated to express Washington’s solidarity with Sri Lankans as they summoned united against the deadliest terror attack on Easter Sunday.
In the statement, Ortagus wrote: “He will also discuss promising opportunity for US-Sri Lanka cooperation based on shared commitments to a free and open Indo-Pacific region.”
Pompeo’s next destination will be Osaka to attend the G20 summit – the first kind of gathering hosted by Japan.
The statement noted Pompeo will join US President Donald Trump in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in order to coordinate on the fully verified and final denuclearization of the North Korean Peninsula and to discuss ways to bolster trilateral cooperation with the Republic of Korea.
After concluding G20, Pompeo and Trump will visit South Korea, where they will hold a meeting with S Korean President Moon Jae-in. Both leaders will discuss ways to bolster their alliance.
Ortagus said, “President Trump and President Moon will continue their close coordination on efforts to achieve the final, fully verified denuclearization of the DPRK.”