(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) WASHINGTON, March 21 (KUNA) -- The US said on Tuesday it remains "100 percent committed" to NATO after confirming reports that State Secretary Rex Tillerson will not attend an upcoming NATO meeting in Brussels due on April 5-6.
It would have been the first time Tillerson attends the 28-nation NATO ministerial since being confirmed US Secretary of State in February.
"President (Donald) Trump said this in his very first address to a joint session of Congress. He said our commitment to NATO is unwavering and it remains so," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a briefing.
On Wednesday, Tillerson is scheduled to meet foreign ministers of the 68-nation coalition, most of whom are NATO members, in Washington, Toner mentioned.
"While he (Tillerson) won't specifically be discussing in the group session all of NATO's equity, obviously he will have an opportunity to do pull-asides with many of these countries," added Toner.
He said that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will also be present at the Washington-held talks.
Attending the NATO talks on behalf of Tillerson will be Under Secretary for Political Affairs Tom Shannon, and Toner said that there were another two occasions in 2003 and 1999 when the US was not represented by a state secretary at the talks.
According to US media quoting local officials, at the same time as the NATO talks, Tillerson plans to stay in the US, where he will join Trump in welcoming the visiting Chinese president, and then travels to Russia. (end) sd.ibi
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