Pompeo: Working out EU-US travel restrictions key for economy
Pompeo says the United States is in "close conversations" with the EU to reopen and encourage international travel
During a wide-ranging interview with FOX News' Bret Baier on Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the European Union's recent decision to restrict travel for visitors from the United States as coronavirus cases have surged across the country.
According to Pompeo, the United States is in "close conversations" with the EU to reopen and encourage international travel.
"We're in close conversation with countries all around the world, including European countries, to make sure that when we we open our country to travel from their nations and that we do so in a way that keeps American people safe and reduces risk from COVID here in the United States," Pompeo said. "They have a responsibility to do that for their nations as well."
The European Union announced on Tuesday that it would lift travel restrictions for visitors from 14 countries starting July 1, including Algeria, Australia, Canada, Georgia, Japan, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Rwanda, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Tunisia, and Uruguay.
French citizen of Algerian origin waiting at the departure hall of Houari Boumediene International airport in Algiers, Algeria, Wednesday, July 1, 2020, to return for the first time to France since virus measures where imposed in march. The European
China will also be given clearance into Europe following confirmation that EU citizens will be granted reciprocal entry.
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A European Union official told FOX News that it is "difficult to see how US citizens could qualify" for the July 1 target based on the organization's entry criteria.
Countries whose citizens are approved to travel in Europe are required to have a stable or decreasing trend of new coronavirus cases for a 14-day period that is below the European Union's average cases. They also are requried to ensure that the virus is contained to prevent spread to EU citizens and that Europeans will be offered reciprocal entry.
FILE - In this Tuesday, April 7, 2020 file photo, a woman walks her dog on a Paris bridge, with the Eiffel tower in background, during a nationwide confinement to counter the COVID-19. The European Union announced Tuesday, June 30, 2020 that it will
Currently, European travel to the United States has also been restricted, following a ban from President Trump back in March.
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Pompeo expressed his confidence for the United States' ability to "get this right" and noted that travel between the European Union and the United States is essential for both economies to get back up and running.
"I have every confidence that we'll get this right with countries all across the world," Pompeo said. "It's not just the Europeans. We need to get this right. We need to get the economy back up and get people traveling all across the United States and international travel as well."
According to the latest update by Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 2.6 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 128,000 deaths in the United States. As of Wednesday, more than 1.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 177,000 deaths have been reported in the European Union, European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, according to the latest data from EU's Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.