HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam?-- US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday, beginning a four-day official visit to Vietnam.

Kerry will visit Ho Chi Minh City and the southernmost Ca Mau province, according to a statement released by Vietnam's foreign ministry.

Meetings in Ho Chi Minh City will focus on growth of bilateral trade and education, according to the website of the Vietnamese government.

Kerry will then travel to Ca Mau where he will discuss how Americans and Vietnamese can work together on critical issues such as climate change and renewable energy.

The US official will fly to capital Hanoi on Sunday afternoon to have meetings with Vietnamese leaders on Monday.

He is scheduled to meet with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

Kerry will leave Vietnam for the Philippines on Tuesday morning.