US Senate confirms Pompeo as secretary of state
In this file photo taken on April 12, 2018, US Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
The US Senate on Thursday narrowly confirmed Mike Pompeo as the new secretary of state to replace Rex Tillerson.
Pompeo won 57 votes in support against the 42 senators who opposed. Most Senate Democrats voted against him, for fear that his hawkish policy positions could dire US interests.
The confirmation enabled Pompeo to represent the United States to attend an upcoming NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, and would facilitate his communication with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to lay the groundwork for President Donald Trump's direct talks with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.
