 "Amid political turmoil Pompeo to leave on seven-nation trip to Europe, Asia")
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.
Pompeo will kick off his November 13 to 23 travel from Paris where he 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.
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.
He will also meet with the Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church, His Holiness Ilia II, said Cale Brown, Principal Deputy Secretary.
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The Secretary will then travel to Israel where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Abraham Accords, and joint efforts to address Iran's malign activities.
Next, he will travel to the United Arab Emirates and meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayd to discuss security cooperation and regional issues. He will also travel to Qatar to meet with Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani to discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the importance of Gulf unity, a media release said.
Pompeo's final stop will be in Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.