Washington: US Secretary of State John Kerry will make his first trip to Asia next month with stops in South Korea, Japan and China, the State Department said.
The top American envoy will first attend the meetings of the Group of Eight industrialized nations in London April 10-11 before heading for Asia, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday.
"During his trip to Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing, the secretary will meet with his counterparts and discuss the full range of bilateral, multilateral and regional issues as well as our economic cooperation and the environment," Xinhua quoted Nuland as saying.
"And in June, the secretary looks forward to participating in the ASEAN Regional Forum chaired by Brunei and also visiting some other Southeast Asian partners," she added.
"During these engagements, the secretary will continue to affirm the administration's commitment to further broaden and enhance US economic security and strategic interests in the Asia Pacific region."
Kerry toured nine countries in Europe and the Middle East from Feb 24 to March 6 after he took office Feb 1, with focus on the two-year-old conflict in Syria.
IANS
First Published: Friday, March 15, 2013, 11:59