U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is expected to arrive in Manila on Thursday night for a visit to discuss defense and security issues with the Philippine leaders, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.

In his first visit to the Philippines, Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin from Feb. 28 to March 1 "to discuss the strong economic and military relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines."

Before the Philippines, Pompeo travelled to Hanoi, Vietnam on Feb. 24-28 where he participated in U.S. President Donald Trump's summit with top leader the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un and bilateral meetings with Vietnamese leaders.

Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo said issues of mutual concerns like security, terrorism and the defense treaty between the two countries are on the agenda.

"Any subject matter that is mutually beneficial to both countries will be discussed ... Mutual concerns like security, terrorism," Panelo told reporters.

The Duterte government is seeking a review of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) to clarify certain provisions contained in the 70-year-old treaty to make it relevant to the present geopolitical environment.

The MDT remains valid despite the Philippine Senate rejection in 1991 of the extension of the Military Bases Agreement with the United States. Enditem