Borrell, Pompeo Launched Dialogue On China, Discuss Karabakh, Belarus

Borrell, Pompeo Launched Dialogue on China, Discuss Karabakh, Belarus

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2020) EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a phone conversation on Friday, launched a dialogue on a set of China-related issues, and also discussed the situation in Belarus and Nagorno-Karabakh, according to a joint statement circulated by Brussels.

"During the meeting, they launched a new bilateral Dialogue between the European External Action Service and the U.S. Department of State on China. High Representative/Vice President Borrell and Secretary of State Pompeo welcomed the start of this dialogue as a dedicated forum for EU and U.S. experts to discuss the full range of issues related to China," the statement says.

Borrell and Pompeo also agreed to continue similar exchanges at the level of senior officials and experts on topics including human rights and security.

The next dialogue meeting is expected to take place in mid-November.

The top diplomats also discussed the situation in Belarus, urging Minsk to start a dialogue with the opposition and reaffirming respect for the sovereignty and independence of Belarus.

When discussing the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, the parties stressed the importance of a settlement under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and the need to avoid external interference.