US Secretary of State Pompeo to meet Patriarch Bartholomew

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US Secretary of State Pompeo to meet Patriarch Bartholomew

November 11, 2020

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wearing a face mask against the spread of the new coronavirus, visits the Naval Support Activity base at Souda, on the Greek island of Crete, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020. (Aris Messinis/Pool viaAP)

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday he will travel to Turkey to meet with His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew as part of a seven-nation tour from Nov. 13-23, but he will not be meeting with Turkish officials during the visit, Daily Sabah reported.

The full statement follows:

"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will travel to France, Turkey, Georgia, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia November 13 – 23.

In Paris, the Secretary will meet with President Macron, Foreign Minister Le Drian, and other senior officials to build on our transatlantic work on economic and security matters, and on counterterrorism and global threats.

Following Paris, Secretary Pompeo will travel to Istanbul, Turkey to meet with His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, to discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world.

The Secretary’s last stop in Europe will be Tbilisi, Georgia to meet with President Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Gakharia, and Foreign Minister Zalkaliani, to express our support for Georgia’s 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.

The Secretary will then travel to Israel where he will meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the Abraham Accords, and our 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.

The Secretary’s final stop will be in Saudi Arabia, where he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman."

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