US senior diplomat to visit Phl, Malaysia, New Zealand

A senior US diplomat in charge of Asian affairs will visit the Philippines, Malaysia and New Zealand, the State Department announced in a statement on Monday.

The statement said that the visit by US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell extends from this Monday to next Monday.

On Wednesday, Campbell will join US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs Mark Lippert in Manila, Philippines for the third annual US-Philippines bilateral strategic dialogue, according to the statement.

He will also meet with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and other senior Philippine officials.

On Thursday, Campbell will travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for meetings with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and other senior government officials and representatives from civil society, said the statement.

Campbell will be in New Zealand, the last stop of his tour, from Friday to Sunday, to participate in the US-New Zealand strategic dialogue and meet with senior officials, the statement added.-The Philippine Star (December 11, 2012 11:25PM)