U.S. Vice President Mike Pence To Meet PM Modi Next Week: White House

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his four-nation trip next week, during which he will also attend the U.S.-Asean Summit and the East Asia Summit in Singapore, the White House said.

Generally, the summit is attended by the U.S. President. This time, however, Pence would be representing the country at the request of President Donald Trump.

Pence will travel to Japan, Singapore, Australia, and Papua New Guinea between Nov. 11 and Nov. 18 to attend the U.S.-Asean Summit and the East Asia Summit in Singapore as well as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Papua New Guinea.

Pence will also participate in meetings with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Singapore premier Lee Hsien Loong, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, in addition to other bilateral meetings, the White House said.

National Security Advisor John Bolton will join Pence for the U.S.-Asean Summit and the East Asia Summit in Singapore and APEC meetings in Papua New Guinea.

“The vice president is honoured to represent President Donald Trump at the U.S.-Asean Summit and APEC next week, where he will highlight American leadership in the region and reaffirm our commitment to freedom, economic prosperity, and security in the Indo-Pacific,” Alyssa Farah, press secretary for the vice president, said.

This will be Pence’s third trip to the region as the vice president and he will reaffirm President Trump’s commitment to the final, fully verified denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, she said.