Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will travel to Kyiv, Ukraine; Minsk, Belarus; Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan; Tashkent, Uzbekistan; and Nicosia, Cyprus from January 3-7.
Secretary Pompeo will travel to Kyiv on January 3, where he will meet with President Zelenskyy, Foreign Minister Prystaiko, and Defense Minister Zahorodnyuk to reaffirm U.S. support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Secretary will also attend a wreath laying ceremony at St. Michael’s to honor those who have fallen in the Donbass, and meet with religious, civil society and business community leaders to discuss human rights issues, the investment climate, and the government’s reform agenda.
On January 4, in Minsk, the Secretary will meet with President Lukashenka and Foreign Minister Makei to underscore the U.S. commitment to a sovereign, independent, stable, and prosperous Belarus, and affirm our desire to normalize relations to move our bilateral relationship forward.
Following his visit to Minsk, the Secretary will travel to Nur-Sultan, where he will meet with Kazakhstani President Tokayev, First President Nazarbayev, and Foreign Minister Tileuberdi on January 5 to reaffirm our shared commitment for peace, prosperity, and security in Central Asia and hold bilateral discussions on investment, economic reform and human rights.
The Secretary will then travel to Tashkent, January 5-6, where he will meet with President Mirziyoyev and Foreign Minister Kamilov to reaffirm U.S. support for Uzbekistan’s reforms and for the country’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
In Tashkent, the Secretary will also participate in a C5+1 Ministerial with the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to discuss our shared interest in peace and stability in Afghanistan, and future cooperative efforts in the region. Consistent with the new U.S. Central Asia Strategy, the Secretary will stress U.S. support for a better connected, more prosperous, and more secure Central Asia.
Finally, on January 7, the Secretary will travel to Nicosia where he will meet with President Anastasiades and Foreign Minister Christodoulides to reaffirm the robust U.S.-Republic of Cyprus relationship. While there, the Secretary will also meet with Turkish Cypriot Leader Akinci. The Secretary will reaffirm to leaders of both communities continued U.S. support for UN-facilitated Cypriot-led efforts to reunify Cyprus as a bizonal, bicommunal federation in line with UN Security Council Resolutions.
Mike Pompeo
Belarus, Kazakhstan