Blinken to visit Brussels for talks with NATO allies
Apr 13, 2021
Washington (US), April 13: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Brussels, Belgium this week to consult with NATO allies on a range of shared priorities, the U.S. State Department said on Monday.
Blinken's visit to NATO headquarters starts on Tuesday, and he will join Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin for discussions with allies and partners, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
"The Secretary will take this opportunity to reaffirm the U.S. commitment to the Transatlantic alliance as a critical partnership for achieving our mutual goals. Separately, Secretary Blinken will hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with European counterparts to discuss key priorities and shared challenges," the statement added.
The trip came amid escalating tensions in eastern Ukraine and Russia's military buildup along the border. It also came ahead of the May 1 deadline set by the U.S.-Taliban deal for a full withdrawal of U.S. and coalition troops from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden said last month that it would be hard for the United States to meet the deadline.
Source: Xinhua
