1st LD: U.S. Senate confirms Pompeo as secretary of state

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. 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 U.S. 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 (DPRK) to lay the groundwork for President Donald Trump's direct talks with top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un. Enditem