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CLINTON TO TALK IRAN, AFGHANISTAN ON RUSSIA TRIP
By Jeff Mason
Reuters
Fri Oct 9, 2009 2:37am EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran and Afghanistan will dominate talks
by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next week on a trip to
Britain and Russia that could also spur progress on a new nuclear
arms reduction treaty with Moscow.
Clinton leaves on Friday for a European tour that includes a stop
in Switzerland to commemorate an accord between rivals Armenia and
Turkey as well as a visit to Dublin and Belfast to support peace in
Northern Ireland.
The meatiest portion of the trip will be in Russia.
Clinton, who has sought to "reset" U.S. ties with the Kremlin,
said she was encouraged by Moscow's role in talks with Britain,
China, France, the United States and Germany -- dubbed the P5+1 --
on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"The cooperation that we are seeing from our Russian partners in the
P5+1 context is very encouraging," she told reporters on Thursday,
adding Iran would be a topic next week.
"We will certainly be looking at the options that we have to explore
going forward from what was a positive but not conclusive meeting in
Geneva," she said.
The six world powers recently held talks with Iran in Geneva, which
officials described as constructive. Russia has been traditionally
reluctant to impose sanctions on Iran.
Several other issues will also feature in Clinton's talks with Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Analysts
believe a recent U.S. decision to revamp plans for a missile defense
shield in Europe will aid both nations in working together on a host
of issues.
"The 'reset' is happening," said Steven Pifer, a Russia expert at
the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
"While there are still a lot of difficult issues in the U.S.-Russia
relations, at this point you have some positives that weren't there
at the end of 2008."
Many areas still rankle.
A State Department official said Clinton would broach human rights
and Russia's treatment of Georgia, with which tia and another rebel
province, Abkhazia, as independent states.
Clinton will also press for more help in Afghanistan after Russia
recently allowed the United States to fly weapons, hardware and
personnel across its territory to that country, where insurgent
violence has reached its highest levels of the eight-year war.
"The Russians could provide more assistance to Afghanistan
including ... in the form of weapons for the Afghan army, training,
counternarcotics," the official said.
The top U.S. diplomat hopes to advance talks to replace the Strategic
Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires on December 5. President Barack
Obama and Medvedev agreed on the outlines of a deal in July, but
several hurdles may make it difficult to finish by the December
deadline.
The secretary will also fly to Kazan in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan
to illustrate the U.S. desire to engage with Russians across the
country.
Before going to Russia, Clinton, whose husband, Bill Clinton, took
a major role as president in the push for peace in Northern Ireland,
will visit Belfast and Dublin.
The trip, her first there as secretary of state, shows the former
first lady's commitment to resolving remaining issues related to
Northern Ireland's peace process, the State Department official said.
Northern Ireland has enjoyed relative peace since a 1998 peace deal
between pro-British Protestants and minority Roman Catholics who now
share power in a regional assembly. But hard-line splinter groups
remain a threat and dissident republicans have stepped up attacks
on police.
"I think this is sort of the Clinton family signature foreign policy
issue," said Heather Conley, a European affairs expert at the CSIS
think tank.
Clinton will also meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
in London to discuss Afghanistan and Iran, while reassuring some
anxious Britons about the strength of the "special relationship"
between their two nations.
"These consultations will underscore the strength of the
UK-U.S. relationship and the continuous high-level eng njoy with our
friends and allies," Assistant Secretary Phil Gordon told reporters.
By Jeff Mason
Reuters
Fri Oct 9, 2009 2:37am EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran and Afghanistan will dominate talks
by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton next week on a trip to
Britain and Russia that could also spur progress on a new nuclear
arms reduction treaty with Moscow.
Clinton leaves on Friday for a European tour that includes a stop
in Switzerland to commemorate an accord between rivals Armenia and
Turkey as well as a visit to Dublin and Belfast to support peace in
Northern Ireland.
The meatiest portion of the trip will be in Russia.
Clinton, who has sought to "reset" U.S. ties with the Kremlin,
said she was encouraged by Moscow's role in talks with Britain,
China, France, the United States and Germany -- dubbed the P5+1 --
on curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"The cooperation that we are seeing from our Russian partners in the
P5+1 context is very encouraging," she told reporters on Thursday,
adding Iran would be a topic next week.
"We will certainly be looking at the options that we have to explore
going forward from what was a positive but not conclusive meeting in
Geneva," she said.
The six world powers recently held talks with Iran in Geneva, which
officials described as constructive. Russia has been traditionally
reluctant to impose sanctions on Iran.
Several other issues will also feature in Clinton's talks with Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Analysts
believe a recent U.S. decision to revamp plans for a missile defense
shield in Europe will aid both nations in working together on a host
of issues.
"The 'reset' is happening," said Steven Pifer, a Russia expert at
the Washington-based Brookings Institution.
"While there are still a lot of difficult issues in the U.S.-Russia
relations, at this point you have some positives that weren't there
at the end of 2008."
Many areas still rankle.
A State Department official said Clinton would broach human rights
and Russia's treatment of Georgia, with which tia and another rebel
province, Abkhazia, as independent states.
Clinton will also press for more help in Afghanistan after Russia
recently allowed the United States to fly weapons, hardware and
personnel across its territory to that country, where insurgent
violence has reached its highest levels of the eight-year war.
"The Russians could provide more assistance to Afghanistan
including ... in the form of weapons for the Afghan army, training,
counternarcotics," the official said.
The top U.S. diplomat hopes to advance talks to replace the Strategic
Arms Reduction Treaty, which expires on December 5. President Barack
Obama and Medvedev agreed on the outlines of a deal in July, but
several hurdles may make it difficult to finish by the December
deadline.
The secretary will also fly to Kazan in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan
to illustrate the U.S. desire to engage with Russians across the
country.
Before going to Russia, Clinton, whose husband, Bill Clinton, took
a major role as president in the push for peace in Northern Ireland,
will visit Belfast and Dublin.
The trip, her first there as secretary of state, shows the former
first lady's commitment to resolving remaining issues related to
Northern Ireland's peace process, the State Department official said.
Northern Ireland has enjoyed relative peace since a 1998 peace deal
between pro-British Protestants and minority Roman Catholics who now
share power in a regional assembly. But hard-line splinter groups
remain a threat and dissident republicans have stepped up attacks
on police.
"I think this is sort of the Clinton family signature foreign policy
issue," said Heather Conley, a European affairs expert at the CSIS
think tank.
Clinton will also meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
in London to discuss Afghanistan and Iran, while reassuring some
anxious Britons about the strength of the "special relationship"
between their two nations.
"These consultations will underscore the strength of the
UK-U.S. relationship and the continuous high-level eng njoy with our
friends and allies," Assistant Secretary Phil Gordon told reporters.