Washington: Amidst domestic political turmoil following the contentious presidential election, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday announced that he would leave on a seven-nation tour on Friday that would take him to France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
"The conversations will differ obviously in each country, many different things to cover but I am sure many of them will focus on this administration's historic efforts to forge peace and cooperation throughout the Middle East," Pompeo said at a news conference here.
In Paris, Pompeo will meet his French counterpart and President Emmanuel Macron of France to build on their transatlantic work on economic and security matters, and on counterterrorism and global threats.
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Following Paris, Pompeo will travel to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, to discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote strong stance on religious freedom around the world.
Pompeo's last stop in Europe will be Tbilisi, Georgia to meet with the country's president, prime minister, and Foreign Minister Zalkaliani, to express his support for its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to urge further progress in democratic reforms.