Rex Tillerson On 5 Nation Tour Including India, Pak

Washington: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will embark on a crucial trip to India and Pakistan next week as part of his week-long five-nation tour that would also take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Switzerland.

Tillerson will make Saudi Arabia his first stop on the week-long tour beginning tomorrow. He will take part in the inaugural Coordination Council meeting between the governments of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The Secretary will also meet with to Saudi leaders to discuss the conflict in Yemen, the ongoing Gulf crisis, Iran and a number of other important regional and bilateral issues, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said.

Tillerson will then travel to Doha, where he will meet with Qatari leaders and US military officials to discuss joint counter-terrorism efforts, the ongoing Gulf dispute and other regional and bilateral issues, including Iran and Iraq, she said in a statement. In Islamabad, he will meet with senior Pakistani leaders to discuss America's continued strong bilateral cooperation, Pakistan's critical role in the success of US President Donald Trump's South Asia strategy and the expanding economic ties between the two countries, she said.

The exact dates of his visits to Islamabad and New Delhi are yet to be announced.

Meanwhile, India on Friday welcomed US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's remarks on US-India ties in which he said that Washington and New Delhi were committed to build an ambitious partnership.

"Secretary Tillerson has made a significant policy statement on India-US relations and its future," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a query. "He brought out its various strengths and highlighted our shared commitment to a rule-based international order," he said. "We appreciate his positive evaluation of the relationship and share his optimism about its future directions. We look forward to welcoming him in India next week for detailed discussions on further strengthening of our partnership."

Delivering an address on 'Defining Our Relationship with India for the Next Century' at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC on Wednesday Tillerson said that US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were committed more than any of the leaders before them "to building an ambitious partnership that benefits not only our two great democracies but for other sovereign nations working for greater peace and stability".

"The Trump administration is determined to dramatically deepen ways for the United States and India to further this partnership," he said. He also put China and Pakistan on notice saying that Beijing's "provocative actions" went against the international law and norms that the US and India stood for, and made it clear that Washington expected Pakistan to take "decisive action" against terrorist groups operating within its territory. Tillerson will be visiting India next week for the first time in his official capacity.

PTI