US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to visit Vietnam on Sunday

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit Vietnam on July 8-9 to discuss ways to further the two countries’ comprehensive partnership, as well as global and regional issues, including North Korea’s denuclearization.

Pompeo and his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh would join other senior Vietnamese officials in Hanoi to discuss the two countries’ partnership in multiple fields, including politics-diplomacy, economy-trade-investment, security-defense and relief for post-war consequences, Ngo Toan Thang, deputy spokesperson at Vietnam's foreign ministry, said at a press conference on Thursday.

U.S. State Department said in a statement that in Hanoi, Pompeo will attend meetings to discuss shared commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea and other bilateral and regional issues.

The visit is part of Pompeo's 13-day tour between July 5 and 12 that also includes stops in North Korea, Japan, UAE and Belgium. This would mark his first visit to Vietnam since assuming the position of Secretary of State in April. Vietnam would also be Pompeo’s first destination in Southeast Asia.

Last year, bilateral trade turnover between Vietnam and the U.S. reached $51 billion.