Politics
18:13, 21-Oct-2017
Tillerson on visit to Middle East, South Asia and Switzerland
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has embarked on a week-long visit to the Middle East, South Asia, and Switzerland.
Tillerson will attend a series of meetings and hold talks in Riyadh, Doha, Islamabad, New Delhi, and Geneva.
According to US Department of State, he will participate in the inaugural Coordination Council meeting between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Iraq that will be held in Riyadh. He will also meet Saudi leaders to discuss the ongoing conflict in Yemen and a series of other important regional and bilateral issues.
Secretary Tillerson will then travel to Doha, where he will meet with Qatari leaders and the US military officials to discuss joint counter terrorism efforts, the ongoing Gulf dispute, and other regional and bilateral issues, including Iran and Iraq.
After the visit to the Middle East, Tillerson will make his inaugural visit to South Asia as Secretary of State.
Rex Tillerson delivers a statement at the State
Department October 4, 2017 in Washington, DC. /Win
McNamee/Getty Images/AFP Photo
Rex Tillerson delivers a statement at the State Department October 4, 2017 in Washington, DC. /Win McNamee/Getty Images/AFP Photo
Ahead of his trip, Tillerson on Wednesday delivered an address on Defining Our Relationship with India for the Next Century at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
In his speech, he urged Pakistan “to take decisive action against terrorist groups based within their own borders that threaten its own people and the broader region.” He also stressed on the need for a robust India-US relationship.
Tillerson will meet with senior Pakistani leaders in Islamabad to discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
After concluding Pakistan visit, he will reach New Delhi on October 24 and meet senior Indian leaders to discuss further strengthening US-India strategic partnership and collaboration on security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Tillerson will also advance the ambitious agenda laid out by President Trump and Prime Minister Modi during the Indian leader’s visit to the White House in June.
In Geneva, Tillerson will hold a meeting with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Organization for Migration, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to discuss a number of the current global humanitarian crises.