UPDATE - US Secretary of State Pompeo cancels Berlin trip

UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM US EMBASSY, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has canceled at the last minute an official trip to Germany on Tuesday, officials have said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s office has confirmed that a planned meeting between Merkel and Pompeo on Tuesday was canceled, but officials did not give any reason for the decision.

Meanwhile, the U.S. embassy in a Twitter post said: “Unfortunately, we must reschedule the Berlin meetings due to pressing issues.”

“We look forward to rescheduling this important set of meetings. The Secretary looks forward to being in Berlin soon," it added.

Pompeo was scheduled to pay his first official visit to Germany on Tuesday and he was expected to meet separately with Merkel and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.