US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton
is to hold her first two meetings with counterparts since taking office on
Tuesday, meeting with Britain's David Miliband and Germany's Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, dpa reported.
Iran and Afghanistan would likely top the agenda, as Clinton first meets with
Miliband followed by her lunch with Steinmeier, US State Department officials
said.
"I expect these will be very, very substantive meetings," said State
Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood.
The meetings come a day before the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China) plus Germany meet in Berlin on Wednesday to discuss the nuclear situation with Iran.
In Berlin, the German foreign ministry said Steinmeier would also discuss the
global economic crisis and energy security as well as the situation in Iraq with Clinton.
Another issue was expected to be whether Germany will agree to take in
detainees released from the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The US, which is looking to close the camp by the end of the year, has made no
formal request to Germany. The government in Berlin is divided on the issue.
It is unclear whether the German foreign minister will meet US President Barack
Obama during his 24-hour stay. The two first met in July last year when Obama
visited Berlin as a presidential candidate.
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