Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday will start a four-nation trip to Europe for talks with his European and Russian counterparts on issues ranging from Arctic security to the crisis in Venezuela
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th May, 2019) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday will start a four-nation trip to Europe for talks with his European and Russian counterparts on issues ranging from Arctic security to the crisis in Venezuela.
Pompeo will arrive on Monday to Rovaniemi, Finland, where he is expected to participate in a ministerial meeting of the Arctic Council and deliver a major speech on US policy in the region.
On the sidelines of Monday's ministerial, Pompeo will sit down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for their second face-to-face meeting.
The two top diplomats will likely address the crisis in Venezuela, as well as the conflict in Syria and possibly the situation in Ukraine, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Sputnik.
Meanwhile, Pompeo's policy speech to the council could touch on US concerns about China's increasing activity in the region.
A senior State Department official said Pompeo would emphasize that the United States rejects attempts by non-Arctic states to take part in any effort to govern the territory.
The Arctic Council includes the United States, Russia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. China is an observer to the council, and the United States has long rejected attempts by non-members to interfere in the Arctic region.
On May 7, Pompeo will arrive in Berlin to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for talks on Ukraine, Russia, China, Syria and the Western Balkans.
Pompeo will also raise the issue of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, a matter that has sharply divided the two allies. Germany has repeatedly pushed back against US pressure to halt work on the project, which is expected to deliver 55 billion cubic meters (1.9 trillion cubic feet) of Russian natural gas annually to countries in the European Union.
On May 8, Pompeo will be in London to meet with Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Hunt to discuss shared global priorities. He will also deliver a speech on the US-UK special relationship.
Pompeo and his UK counterparts will have bilateral discussions about trade relations, Russia's activities around the world, Yemen, Iran and foreign terrorist fighters, a State Department official said.
While in London, Pompeo will also reiterate US concerns over the United Kingdom's potential acquisition of China's Huawei 5G technology.
On May 9, Pompeo will travel to Nuuk, Greenland, to meet with Greenlandic Premier Kim Kielsen, Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Ane Lone Bagger. They will discuss shared priorities in the Arctic and opportunities for expanded engagement with Greenland.
The United States is trying to reinvigorate its trilateral relationship with Greenland and Denmark as it becomes concerned about activity by other nations in the region including China. Pompeo will also visit Kangerlussuaq to meet members of the New York Air National Guard who provide vital support for international Arctic research.
