Published 12:00 IST, November 11th 2020
Pompeo announces 7-nation tour of US allies who have already congratulated Biden for win
While Trump has categorically refused to concede to the president-elect Biden, US Secretary of State Pompeo has announced a seven-nation tour of US allies.
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While incumbent Donald Trump has categorically refused to concede to president-elect Joe Biden and stalled the transition process, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on November 11 announced a seven-nation tour of America’s allies, many who have even congratulated Biden. Pompeo said that he is looking forward to his travel that would begin on November 13 when he will leave for Paris. From there, the US Secretary of State head to Istanbul and the former Soviet republic of Georgia before arriving in Jerusalem along with three essential Gulf Arab allies - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
Pompeo has even told the reporters that the trip will discuss Trump’s "historic efforts to forge peace and cooperation throughout the Middle East.” Even though the US Secretary of State has assured that there would be a “smooth” transition at the White House between Trump and Biden, the seven-nation trip is likely to be awkward as the US President has refused to concede and even denied that he lost the US Election 2020 to Biden. Meanwhile, the president-elect is set to be inaugurated on January 20.
Similar to other European nations, France also shares a strenuous relationship with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron was one of the first leaders to voice hope in working with Biden. Moreover, other so-called friends of Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have also congratulated the winner of US Election 2020.
Looking forward to my upcoming travel to Europe and the Middle East to meet with counterparts on a range of important issues, including countering Iran’s malign behavior, the opportunities presented by the Abraham Accords, and advancing religious freedom around the world.
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) November 11, 2020
Pompeo assures ‘smooth transition’
Despite Trump showcasing reluctance in giving up the US leadership, Pompeo has recently said that the nation will have a “smooth transition” to whosoever is declared as the winner of the presidential race. Even though official results have not been announced, major American outlets have already announced their winner as Biden. Meanwhile, Trump has begun mounting legal challenges to amplify his baseless claims of presidential elections being “stolen” and “fraud”. While talking with Fox News, US Secretary of State said with a grin that “there will be a smooth transition to a second Trump administration.”
"We're reminding everyone that all the votes haven't been counted. We need to make sure the legal process is fully complied with," Pompeo said.
"We will make sure that whoever is in office on noon on January 20th has all the tools readily available so that we don't skip a beat with the capacity to keep Americans safe," he added.
12:01 IST, November 11th 2020