US Vice President Pence in Brussels, proposing closer ties with the EU

US Vice President Mike Pence told European Union officials in Brussels that President Trump's administration is seeking to "strengthen ties" with the EU, reports Patria.

President Donald Trump recently alarmed EU leaders by expressing support for the UK's decision to leave the bloc, and suggesting last month that other countries might follow suit. Pence spent the weekend in Germany in an effort to reassure Europeans that Trump would remain committed to the NATO alliance.

In talks with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, before meetings with the heads of the European Council, European Commission and NATO, Pence stated, "I am very grateful for the opportunity to visit you and explore ways we can strengthen our relationship with the European Union."

He met with Mogherini at the US mission to the EU. The last US ambassador fired by Trump when he took office had warned the new administration against undermining decades of post-war US commitment to European integration, and said that supporting Brexit was absolutely wrong.

Mogherini told the US Vice President that Europeans and the US have much to work on and that discussions are ongoing.

She stated later that she had an "open and warm conversation" with Pence in which she "reaffirmed the EU's strong will to continue building a strong partnership with the US based on clear values and interests."

Mogherini also stated that they discussed Syria, Ukraine, Libya, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and North Korea, among other issues. She emphasized the "need to preserve and fully implement the Iran deal" concerning the control of Iran's nuclear weapons development. Trump called Iran "terrorist state number one," according to a Reuters report.