Former CIA chief Mike Pompeo sworn in as new US secretary of state

The trusted advisor of President Trump, Pompeo has played a key role in preparations for Trump's planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un

Former CIA Director Mike Pompeo has been sworn in as the 70th US secretary of state after the Senate voted to confirm him, 57-42.

White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, wrote on Twitter, "Great to have Secretary Pompeo confirmed. He will do an excellent job helping @POTUS lead our efforts to denuclearize the Korean peninsula."

Furthermore, Sanders released the photographs of the meeting between then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un which the White House press secretary wrote took place during the "Easter weekend trip".

"Mike Pompeo did go there, he wasn't supposed to meet with Kim Jong Un, but he did. You know they arranged actually while he was there to say hello," the US media reported, US President Donald Trump, as saying to 'Fox and Friends'.

Trump added that the two spoke for more than an hour and that there were "incredible pictures of the two talking and meeting."

During his tenure as CIA director, Pompeo became a trusted advisor of President Trump and has played a key role in preparations for Trump's planned summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

President Donald Trump fired his first Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a Twitter message in March, CNN reported.

Trump revealed that he fired Tillerson because the two disagreed on issues such as dealing with North Korea and Iran Nuclear deal.

The President, taking a dig at the dismissed Secretary of State, said Tillerson's replacement Mike Pompeo and he have always been "on the same wavelength".

President had then tweeted: "Mike Pompeo will become our new Secretary of State. He will do fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!"

He also said: "Gina Haspel would be the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen.