US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced hope on Friday that Europeans would again be able to travel to the United States as coronavirus concerns ease. The European Union, eager for US tourist money after a devastating 2020, has opened up to Americans who are vaccinated or offer negative Covid tests and its leaders have urged the United States to reciprocate. Blinken, asked repeatedly about the issue on a trip to Europe meant to repair relations that were rocky under Donald Trump, voiced understanding but gave no date. "We need to be guided by the science and by medical experts, not taking a political decision but one based on the facts," Blinken told an online forum with young French people on the Brut network. "I hope that this will happen quickly. We really want to. I hope it will be a matter of weeks rather than months," he said in fluent French. But he pointed to the rise of the Delta variant, which first emerged in India and has caused renewed concerns in Western countries that had fought Covid-19. The United States arguably has less political pressure to lift restrictions. While Southern European nations dependent on tourism pushed for the EU to open up, President Joe Biden was elected in part on his promises to better address the pandemic. sct/sjw/pbr