State Department officials are following meetings with Blinken’s NATO counterparts in Brussels and a visit to the Asia-Pacific as the secretary’s first stop, the source said. The order of these two trips has yet to be determined.
These early plans could change, the sources warned, especially as the Biden government is monitoring the coronavirus pandemic.
When Blinken visits the Asia-Pacific, it is likely that he will travel with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to meet their Japanese, South Korean and Australian counterparts, the sources said.
Blinken has been vaccinated, said spokesman Ned Price of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. He also said Blinken has not yet traveled because “there is a common disposition” in the executive branch “against travel for anything but purposes that are considered essential or urgent. “
Price said Blinken’s trip would not take place any time soon.
The pandemic has limited the Biden government’s goal of reconnecting with allies. While phone calls with counterparts around the world have been frequent, no one in President Joe Biden’s cabinet has traveled abroad.
In the coming weeks, before Blinken travels abroad, State Department officials are planning a series of virtual trips for the secretary, the sources said.
Blinken’s virtual stops are expected to cover Europe, Canada and Mexico, as well as several African countries. Blinken’s top consultants do their best to be creative in their planning. For example, Van Blinken is expected to not only meet his counterparts, but also participate in cultural and NGO events during these virtual tours. It can also have guests, such as members of congress or cultural icons.
The virtual visits are expected to be logistically complicated, as they are a new model of engagement, a source explained.