Relations between Washington and Brussels have been strained over an array of issues, including Iran, trade and climate change.

BRUSSELS—U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo travelled to Brussels to meet the new EU leadership as Washington is eager to “reset” its relationship with the European Union.

During his two-day visit, Pompeo met the new President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President David Sassoli, European Council President Charles Michel and the nominee for EU foreign affairs chief, Josep Borrell.

Relations between Washington and Brussels have been strained over an array of issues, including Iran, trade and climate change.

“I essentially want to try to reset the relationship, and I want to try to start off on the right foot with the four leaders,” the US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland said.

“The Secretary made this trip solely and exclusively to see the four EU leaders with the objective of resetting our relationship,” he said.

“Our relationship had reached multiple impasses on multiple fronts and resulted in a lot of uncomfortable, cranky conversations,” he added.

According to the US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus, Pompeo and the new President of the EU Commission, German Ursula von der Leyen ‘’ reaffirmed that a strong U.S.-EU partnership is critical to prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world.’’  The two expressed a shared commitment to working together on a broad range of global issues.

With Charles Michel, the Belgian new President of the EU council, who will chair EU summit meetings of heads of state or governments, Pompeo discussed ‘’ways to promote cooperation on security and defense, countering malicious state actors, and counterterrorism.’’