(MENAFN) According to reports, a high-ranking US official will visit Türkiye this week as part of Washington’s participation in commemorations marking the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, an occasion that will also be attended by Pope Leo XIV.

The information shared indicates that Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas is scheduled to travel through Türkiye, Iraq and Israel from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5, with planned stops in Istanbul, Baghdad, Erbil and Jerusalem.

While in Türkiye, he is set to head the US delegation for the Nicaea anniversary observance and hold discussions with Turkish officials “to advance the US–Türkiye bilateral relationship.” He is also expected to meet with Fener Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul, according to the statement.

The First Council of Nicaea — convened in AD 325 under Roman Emperor Constantine — gathered bishops from across the early Christian world and resulted in pivotal rulings on key theological matters, including the nature of Jesus and his connection to God. The site of the council, historically known as Nicaea, corresponds to modern-day Iznik, located in Türkiye’s Bursa province near Istanbul.

Following his stay in Türkiye, Rigas will head to Iraq for meetings with Iraqi officials, visits to US diplomatic posts and the opening ceremony of the new US Consulate General in Erbil, as stated by reports.

His trip will wrap up in Israel, where he is expected to “reaffirm the ironclad” US–Israel partnership, the statement added.

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