In his first visit to Germany as U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo met Friday with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

Before their meeting, Merkel told reporters “among the issues on our agenda today is undoubtedly going to be Iran. How can we make sure Iran does not have any nuclear weapons?”

Earlier, speaking to reporters at a joint press conference with his German counterpart Heiko Maas after their meeting, Pompeo said Washington would not stand in the way of INSTEX — a system Europeans are developing to protect companies from American sanctions if they deal with Iran — as long as the focus is on providing humanitarian and other permitted goods.

The system is intended to process payment regarding legal businesses, from medicine manufacturers to aid services and other goods, which are permitted under the sanctions.

INSTEX is not yet up and running, but Europeans hope to have it functioning by this summer.

Maas said that even though the U.S. had withdrawn from the Iran agreement, known as the (JCPOA), its goal remained the same: to offer economic incentives in exchange for limits on Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

Since its withdrawal from the agreement, the U.S. has been at odds with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia, which are trying to keep the deal alive.

Pompeo’s stop in Berlin makes up for a visit that he abruptly called off in early May to fly to Iraq. It is the first of his four-nation European trip, during which he also will visit Switzerland and the Netherlands before joining President Donald Trump on his state visit to Britain.
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