U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to Asia later this month with stops in South Korea, China, Japan and Vietnam, the State Department announced Friday.
Her Asia swing, to start July 24, will precede her participation at the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) meeting in Malaysia July 27-28, the department said.
It will be her first trip to Vietnam and Malaysia.
Rice will discuss bilateral and global issues of concern, including North Korea, Iraq and Iran, department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
North Korea last week test-fired seven ballistic missiles, including its long-range Taepodong-2 that in theory can reach the U.S. western territory. The U.S. and its allies have since been trying to forge a united front in pressing Pyongyang to come back to the six-nation nuclear talks to seek a diplomatic resolution to the missile crisis.
South Korea, China and Japan are members of the six-party talks, along with the U.S., Russia and North Korea.
Washingon, July 14 (Yonhap News)
U.S. Secretary Rice to visit South Korea, other Asian nations late July |
