At the start of the trip to Europe: Pompeo receives a clear message

To kick off a five-day trip to Europe with the American Minister for foreign Affairs, Mike Pompeo, the German practiced foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday in Moscow, a significant criticism of American attempts to prevent the Russian-German gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2: "No state has the right to dictate to the EU energy policy. And the will not succeed,“ said Maas on the occasion of a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. This attitude he made in a telephone conversation with Pompeo on the weekend "very significantly".

Michael Martens

a correspondent for Southeast European countries with headquarters in Vienna, Austria.

Stephan Löwenstein

Political correspondent, based in Vienna.

Reinhard Veser

editor in the policy.

penalties the wrong way," added Maas and announced that Germany will use the EU presidency to push the issue of European sovereignty, whether between partners, "definitely. Ultimately, it would be "our sovereign decision, how do we get our energy," says Maas.

Pompeo began meanwhile, in Prague, a trip to Europe, which is to lead him also to Slovenia, Austria and Poland. Initially thought he was in the West Bohemian city of Pilsen, the liberation of the city from the Nazi tyranny and occupation before the age of 75 years. There, in 1945, American soldiers were just before the end of the war in the fight against the Wehrmacht advanced, while the Red army came from the East.

During the period of Communist rule, every memory was in Czechoslovakia that American soldiers had contributed to the liberation, has been suppressed. A visit to Pompeos commemorate the world war, was originally scheduled for may but had to be due to the Corona-crisis is postponed.

In the Czech Republic for talks with President Miloš Zeman, former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Minister of foreign Affairs Tomáš Petrícek were also. Had announced that it would focus on security cooperation. That is not likely to relate to last on cyber security. Another topic is likely to be a possible American participation in the Expansion of nuclear energy. Both the Czech Republic and Slovenia plan the construction of new nuclear power plants.

An agreement to exclude Huawei from the market

According to the Austrian Ministry of foreign Affairs Pompeo in Vienna is next to the German Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz and Minister of foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg also meet Minister of Finance, Gernot Blümel. The invitation "to the deepening of the strategic partnership" had been pronounced in a phone conversation with the sound mount with Pompeo in June. Short and to the sound the mountain had to travel in the spring in the United States to meet in Washington, among others President Donald Trump. Also this Meeting but had to due to the pandemic to be moved.