Pompeo's trip to Belgium canceled, says State Dept.

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US State Department said Tuesday it is canceling travel this week, including a trip to Belgium by the agency’s head Mike Pompeo.

It said it is "well along in its transition efforts" with President-elect Joe Biden’s team and fully committed to conducting a "smooth and orderly transition process to be finalized over the next 8 days."

"We are expecting shortly a plan from the incoming administration identifying the career officials who will remain in positions of responsibility on an acting basis until the Senate confirmation process is complete for incoming officials. As a result, we are canceling all planned travel this week, including the Secretary’s trip to Europe," according to a statement.

Pompeo was supposed to make a final trip, with an expected visit Wednesday and Thursday to Brussels where he was to meet NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.