US Secretary of State John Kerry declined to be
drawn Tuesday into providing specifics on possible action to end the
violence in Syria, ahead of talks with the leadership of the war-torn
nation's opposition later this week.
Kerry also held talks in Berlin with Russian Foreign Minister
Sergey Lavrov as Moscow and Washington seek to end their differences
over Syria in hopes of finding a solution to the two-year-old
conflict.
Speaking on the second day of his 11-day trip through Europe and
the Middle East, Kerry said his nine-nation tour was "precisely to
connect with our friends and allies" on issues such as the Syrian
crisis.
Up until now, the Kremlin has blocked efforts in the United
Nations to take further action against Syria.
On Thursday, Kerry is to meet with the leadership of the Syrian
opposition in Rome at an 11-nation conference called to discuss
possible new aid for the war-torn country.
This followed the decision of the Syrian National Coalition to
attend the conference after its leadership had initially announced
that it was boycotting the talks because of the Western community's
failure to end the violence in Syria.
The meeting between Lavrov and Kerry also comes in the wake of
tensions between Washington and Moscow on a series of issues,
including the Kremlin's ban on US adoptions of Russian children and
criticism from Washington about Russia's human rights record.
At the same time, Kerry called on Iran to use ongoing talks with
Western nations "to move along the path to a diplomatic solution" to
the nation's controversial nuclear programme.
His comments came after negotiations between Iran and six world
powers aimed at ending a stand-off over that country's nuclear
ambitions were started again in the Kazakh city of Almaty.
Kerry's swing through major European capitals this week is his
first trip abroad since taking office this month.
Officials in Washington insisted, however, that he would not be
chartering any new territory during his trip, which also focuses on
plans to draw down international military involvement in Afghanistan
and moves to forge a trans-Atlantic free trade agreement.
Standing alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Kerry said the
US believed that the planned trade deal was "a really unique
opportunity. ... We think this is something that can lift the economy
in Europe and strengthen our own economy."
Speaking earlier in the day at a joint press conference with
Kerry, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said it was hoped
that the negotiations over the free trade agreement would commence
before summer.
"We are more closely connected than ever before," Kerry told a
meeting with young Germans in Berlin, which he had called to hear
their views of US-European relations.
After visiting London on Monday, Kerry is to set to travel to
Paris following his talks in Berlin before heading to Rome.
Kerry then flies to the Middle East and North Africa, where the
political crisis in Egypt is expected to be a key subject in Kerry's
talks with officials.
This will include talks in Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United
Arab Emirates and Qatar.
The first trip by a US foreign secretary is considered by
diplomats to be very symbolic, with officials saying Kerry's visit to
Europe underscored Washington's belief that it needs its European
allies to help face up to the current global challenges.
The visit also represented the first occasion that Washington's
key allies get to see how Kerry intends to approach his new job as
the US's top diplomat, as well as the foreign policy priorities of
President Barack Obama's second term in office.
"I would very much like to continue the good cooperation with the
(Obama) administration," Merkel said.
Berlin is also hoping that Kerry's trip might pave the way for a
visit to Germany by Obama in the coming months.
Kerry's visit to Berlin also gave him the chance to reconnect with
the city where he lived as a child during the 1950s as the son of a
US diplomat.
"I would say it is wonderful to be here again in Berlin," Kerry
said at his press conference with Westerwelle.
