Middle East

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27 February 2009
Clinton Leaves for Middle East, Europe for Extended Talks

By Merle David Kellerhals Jr.
Staff Writer

 • Department of State Briefing on Secretary Clinton's Trip

Washington — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is beginning a series of official visits to the Middle East and to Europe aimed at restarting Mideast peace talks and boosting trans-Atlantic relations.

Clinton begins the trip March 2 at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh at a donors conference for Gaza. The conference seeks to raise $2 billion for recovery in the Gaza Strip, which was badly damaged by a three-week conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The United States will offer $900 million that will go to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank for Palestinians in Gaza.

“I’m eager to meet with leaders to hear their thoughts about the best way to move forward on seeking peace and security,” Clinton said February 27 in an interview with the Voice of America. “So at Sharm el-Sheikh, I’ll be joining other members of the international community to address the immediate humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“We want to strengthen a Palestinian partner willing to accept the conditions outlined by the Quartet and the Arab summit; in other words, a renouncement of violence, a recognition of Israel, and a commitment to abide by the previous agreements entered in by the Palestinian Authority,” she said.

After the conference, Clinton travels to Jerusalem for meetings with Israeli officials and then to the West Bank for meetings with senior Palestinian officials.

“We are still committed to a two-state solution,” Clinton said.

Clinton said recent efforts by the Egyptians to help the Palestinian Authority, led by the Fatah Party, and Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, reach an accord on a unity government is important for moving toward reconciliation.

After meetings in the Middle East, Clinton leaves for Brussels, Belgium, for an informal conference of NATO foreign ministers March 5. In addition she will meet with the NATO foreign ministers as well as foreign ministers from European Union countries and Switzerland on trans-Atlantic relations. There will be a separate meeting, the State Department says, with EU officials.

One purpose is to make changes to the agenda for the 2009 NATO summit that is being held April 3-4 on the Rhine River in Strasbourg, France, and Kehl, Germany. The NATO defense ministers met in February to review their portion of the summit agenda.

In Geneva, Clinton will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss a range of issues, from talks on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty to cooperation in areas such as Afghanistan.

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