U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson attends a joint news conference with Qatar's foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani in Doha, Qatar, July 11, 2017. REUTERS/Naseem Zeitoon

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will travel to the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia Aug. 5 to Aug. 9, the State Department said on Tuesday.

Tillerson will participate in meetings of diplomats of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Manila, and discuss “denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maritime security, and counterterrorism,” the State Department said.

In Thailand, Tillerson will pay his respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, and discuss the U.S.-Thai relationship with officials there. In Malaysia, he will discuss bilateral relations with officials.

“Secretary Tillerson’s travel reaffirms the Administration’s commitment to further broaden and enhance U.S. economic and security interests in the Asia-Pacific region,” the State Department said.