U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with his Norwegian counterpart Ine Eriksen Soreide in Washington, discussing the upcoming North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders meeting and other issues.

The two senior officials on Tuesday spoke about the preparations for the upcoming NATO leaders meeting, defense cooperation, the Arctic, and global security issues, including in Afghanistan and Syria, according to a State Department statement Wednesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the NATO leaders meeting in London early December to commemorate the alliance's 70th anniversary as solidarity of the NATO is being questioned widely.

Trump is also set to discuss burden-sharing and security issues with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday in Washington.

The Trump administration has repeatedly complained about NATO allies' free-riding on the U.S. military. Besides, there are disagreements within the block over the Iran nuclear issue, Turkey's operations in northern Syria as well as abrupt U.S. decision to withdraw troops from the war-worn country.

(Photo: VCG)