U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media during the NATO Foreign Minister's Meeting at the State Department in Washington, U.S., April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is continuing discussions with Turkey over its plans to buy a missile defense system from Russia, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday, adding he was confident the two NATO allies could find a path forward.

“There’s great opportunities for the United States and Turkey to work closer together,” Pompeo told a news conference at the end of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. “I had a good long conversation with the Turkish foreign minister yesterday and I’m very confident we’ll find a path forward.”

Pompeo also said the NATO meeting discussed the need for Russian troops to leave Venezuela. The discussions were part of a broader conversation on Russia’s foreign military interventions, he added.