US Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo Heads To Mideast To Meet Regional Partners For Talks On Mutual Security Concerns

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  Heads to Mideast to Meet Regional Partners for Talks on Mutual Security Concerns

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is visiting the Middle East this week to meet with officials in Lebanon, Israel and Kuwait and hold bilateral talks on a range of security and energy issues.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th March, 2019) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is visiting the middle East this week to meet with officials in Lebanon, Israel and Kuwait and hold bilateral talks on a range of security and energy issues.

"Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo will travel to Beirut, Jerusalem and Kuwait City March 19-23," the Department of State said in a press release last week.

While in Israel, Pompeo will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials to reaffirm the US commitment to Israel's security and discuss the challenges presented by Iran and its proxies. They bilateral talks will also touch on the Trump administration's efforts to combat anti-Semitism.

Pompeo will also participate in multilateral talks with Israeli, Cypriot, and Greek leaders to discuss key energy and security issues facing the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The Eastern Mediterranean has become one of the world's hottest offshore drilling zones, with a string of major natural gas discoveries in recent years.

But ongoing maritime border disputes - including between Lebanon and Israel, and between Turkey and Cyprus - have hampered efforts to develop the resources.

In Beirut, Pompeo's visit will focus on political, security, economic and humanitarian challenges facing Lebanon. The US secretary of state will meet with Lebanese officials, including President Michael Aoun, to discuss mutual concerns over Hezbollah, especially its presence in the Lebanese parliament and cabinet, and Iran's influence in the region.

In Kuwait City, Pompeo will lead the US delegation at the third US-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue, which will focus on areas of growing bilateral cooperation, including defense, counterterrorism and cybersecurity, as well as trade and investment ties, according to the release.