US secretary of state to embark on Europe trip

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Finland, Germany and Britain, and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, on May 5-9, the US State Department said Wednesday.

On May 6, Pompeo will arrive in Rovaniemi of Finland, where he will participate in the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Arctic Council and deliver a speech on US Arctic policy, said a statement issued by State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

On May 7, he will arrive in Berlin, where he will meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as Ukraine, Russia, Syria and the Western Balkans.

Pompeo will travel to London the following day, where he will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt to discuss “shared global priorities.” Pompeo will also give a speech on the US-Britain relationship.

The top US diplomat will on May 9 travel to Nuuk, Greenland, to meet with Greenland’s Prime Minister Kim Kielsen and Danish Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen, among others.

They will discuss “shared priorities in the Arctic and opportunities for expanded engagement with Greenland,” the State Department said.

Pompeo on Monday met with visiting Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, and the two discussed the upcoming Arctic Council Ministerial.

The Arctic Council comprises Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Russia and the United States — the countries that ring the Arctic Circle.

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