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US Secretary of State Pompeo to visit Denmark

The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, will visit Copenhagen on July 22nd, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.

Published: 15 July 2020 17:13 CEST

US Secretary of State Pompeo to visit Denmark

Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod (L) and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, D.C. in November 2019. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Ritzau Scanpix

Pompeo will meet with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and subsequently with Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod.

“I look forward to welcoming my good colleague Mike Pompeo when, on one of his few trips at this unusual time, makes a stop in Copenhagen,” Kofod said in a ministry statement.

“The United States is a close friend of Denmark and absolutely our closest ally. The Danish-American relationship goes back a long way and I look forward to reaffirming our close relations at the meeting,” he added.

News agency Reuters reports Pompeo as saying that China's treatment of Hong Kong will be high on the agenda, a topic he is also expected address in the United Kingdom during the same trip to Europe.

The two foreign ministers will have the opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics during a “working lunch” scheduled for Pompeo’s visit.

“This gives us a unique opportunity to talk about global issues of common interest such as security, trade and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on international cooperation,” Kofod said.

The Arctic region is also expected to be given high priority. Foreign affairs ministers from Greenland and the Faroe Islands have been invited to participate in the visit.

“Since we will discuss Arctic matters, my colleagues from Greenland and the Faroe Islands must naturally also sit at the table. I personally attach crucial importance to this,” Kofod said in the ministry statement.

US president Donald Trump cancelled a planned visit to Denmark in the autumn of 2019 after his unilateral speculations about the United States buying Greenland from Denmark were dismissed by Frederiksen.

Kofod previously met with Pompeo in late 2019.

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Travel: Germany downgrades Covid-19 risk status of USA

People walking in New York in May 2020. Photo: DPA

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) changed the risk classification of the United States on March 7th.

The US was previously classed as a “high incidence area” by the RKI. These are regions where the incidence is over 200 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents with a period of seven days.

However, now it’s a “risk area” – which is used by German authorities to describe a region with an increased risk of infection, usually above 50 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in seven days.

Other factors are also taken into account, such as measures in place.

It means the travel requirements for people coming from the US to Germany have changed.

However, entry from the US is only permitted in a few narrow exceptions. Proof of urgent need to travel is required, German authorities say. You can find more information in the story below.

READ MORE: When are Americans allowed to travel to Germany?

What happens if I need to travel from the US to Germany?

If you are a German resident from the US, or fall into one of the exception categories, you still face strict testing and quarantine measures.

All travellers must have a negative Covid-19 test result at the latest 48 hours after they enter Germany. It must be presented to authorities if they request it.

Some individual airlines may however still say that travellers have to present a coronavirus negative test result before boarding is allowed. You should contact your airline before travel to check.

Both PCR tests as well as rapid anitgen tests are accepted if they meet the quality standards. Testing is still mandatory even if travellers are vaccinated or have recovered from a coronavirus infection.

People returning from “risk zones” are required to self-isolate for 10 days after they arrive.

The quarantine can usually be ended with a negative coronavirus test result taken at the earliest five days after arriving in Germany.

However, states can differ on their travel regulations so check with your local authority before travelling.

Everyone entering Germany is also required to register online.

New “high incidence areas”

In the RKI’s latest travel classification list, Sweden, Hungary and Jordan are now classed as “high incidence areas” which means stricter testing and quarantine rules apply.

Areas of “variant concern” include Austria’s Tyrol region, the UK, Brazil, Portugal and Ireland. Even stricter rules apply for these regions.

You can find out more information about travel rules in our story below.

READ MORE: What you need to know about Germany’s latest rules on foreign travel

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