Kerry in Laos to discuss bomb legacy and Asean partnership

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong at the Prime Minister's Office in Vientiane on January 25, 2016. US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in communist-controlled Laos late on January 24 in a rare high-level visit by an American diplomat to Washington's former wartime foe. AFP PHOTO / POOL / JACQUELYN MARTIN

VIENTIANE: US Secretary of State John Kerry sat down Monday to discuss the deadly legacy of unexploded American bombs in Laos and China’s influence in Southeast Asia during a high-profile visit to the reclusive communist state.

The trip to Vientiane also paves the way for a summit hosted next month by President Barack Obama in California with the ten leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).