US Deputy Secretary of State to visit Tonga, Vanuatu and New Zealand

photo: AFP

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell will visit Tonga, Vanuatu and New Zealand this week.

Deputy Secretary Campbell will visit Tonga beginning Thursday, leading the U.S. delegation to the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting.

He will also engage with Pacific island leaders to promote the goals and achievements of the U.S. Pacific Partnership strategy.

Campbell will then visit Vanuatu to open the United States’ newest overseas mission, the Embassy in Port Vila.

His visit will also highlight the Peace Corps’ contribution to the Port Vila Central Hospital and the repatriation of Vanuatu cultural artifacts to the United States through interagency coordination between the State Department, FBI, U.S. Coast Guard and FedEx.

He will travel to Auckland on August 30 to co-chair the U.S.-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, meet with senior government officials, and launch the first high-level technical dialogue.

The trip to Tonga, Vanuatu and New Zealand is the latest in a series of high-level visits to the region by senior U.S. officials.