WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is using her second overseas trip to assess Mideast peace prospects, reconnect with European allies and remind her Russian counterpart that U.S. efforts to rebuild relations with Moscow have their limits.
She kicks off the week-long tour by attending an international conference in Egypt, where on Monday she will announce a U.S. pledge of up to $900 million in humanitarian aid for rebuilding the war-shaken Gaza Strip.
The Palestinians are seeking $2.8 billion. The United States does not recognize the Hamas movement that rules Gaza and will not allow aid money to flow through Hamas.
The pledge conference reflects in part a U.S. effort to move quickly to influence events there, where the Islamic militants of Hamas are aligned with Iran and opposed to peace talks with Israel.
Clinton will visit Israel to show President Barack Obama’s commitment to finding a “two-state solution” that establishes a sovereign Palestinian state at peace with Israel.
She also will go to the West Bank to meet with leaders of the Palestinian Authority, including Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas.
After focusing her first foreign trip on Asia, Clinton now is trying to build on what the administration thinks is early enthusiasm in the Mideast and Europe for changing the dynamic of relations with America.
On Friday, Clinton is scheduled to meet in Geneva with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He had a sometimes rocky relationship with Clinton’s predecessor, Condoleezza Rice, a Russian affairs specialist.
Clinton plans to wind up her trip with a stop in Ankara, Turkey, to discuss a range of topics, including Obama’s review of war strategy in Afghanistan. The Turks think the U.S. should put more focus on expanding and improving the Afghan security forces.
Itinerary
•Egypt
•Israel
•West Bank
•Belgium
•Geneva
•Turkey
