BANGKOK, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan is scheduled to pay an official visit to the United States from Saturday until April 27.

The defense minister said on Friday that he has been invited by the U.S. Department of Defense and that his visit will certainly create the opportunity to strengthen the Thai-U.S. cooperation in military and regional security matters.

Prawit declined to unveil any specific issue about which he may engage in talk with U.S. defense officials in Washington.

He also commented that Thailand is not being involved in or affected by the current situation in the Middle East.