Rose Gottemoeller, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, will travel to Manila, Quang Tri province, Hanoi, Canberra, Sydney, and Wellington for meetings with counterparts from February 27–March 9.
From February 27–March 1, Under Secretary Gottemoeller will visit the Philippines, meeting in Manila with senior Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of National Defense officials to discuss regional security, bilateral security cooperation, maritime security, and the upcoming Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT RevCon). On February 28, the Under Secretary will visit Subic Naval Station and tour the Philippines Navy Frigate BRP 15 Gregorio del Pilar.
On March 1–2, Under Secretary Gottemoeller will travel to Quang Tri Province in Vietnam to observe U.S.-funded efforts to survey and clear Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) of war. She will also meet with provincial level authorities and non-governmental organizations.
On March 3, the Under Secretary will travel to Hanoi to discuss the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship during the 20th anniversary of normalized relations, as well as regional security, security cooperation, maritime security, and the upcoming NPT RevCon with her Vietnamese counterparts.
From March 4–5, Under Secretary Gottemoeller will meet with counterparts from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Defence to discuss U.S.-Australia defense cooperation, regional security, and other international security topics in Canberra. On March 5, she will also deliver the Robert O’Neill Lecture at the Australian National University. The title of the remarks is “Stemming the Nuclear Tide: The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty at 45.”
On March 6, Under Secretary Gottemoeller will deliver remarks at the University of Sydney on “The Role of the United States in Asia-Pacific Security.”
On March 9, Under Secretary Gottemoeller will meet with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Ministry of Defence officials to discuss international security issues in Wellington, New Zealand. The Under Secretary will speak with area students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education and she will also deliver remarks on the NPT RevCon at the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA).