Hillary Clinton to go on 4 nation trip

U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton will on February 23 start a tour of Britain, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. “On February 23, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton will begin a four-nation trip to London and North Africa,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement. “In London, the secretary will attend a conference hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron, dedicated to building stability and peace in Somalia. Heads of state and foreign ministers from over 50 countries as well as representatives of the United Nations and the African Union will attend,” she said. The conference convenes six months prior to the end of Somalia's political transition, set to take place by August 20, 2012. In Tunisia on February 24 and 25, Clinton will participate in the first meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group as part of the U.S. joint ongoing efforts with “allies and the Syrian opposition to crystallize next steps to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and pursue a transition to democracy in Syria.” Russia will not participate in a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group in Tunisia, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said on Tuesday. In early February, Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution on Syria to prevent the repetition of “the Libyan scenario.” In Libya, rebels ousted and killed long-standing dictator Muammar Gaddafi in October 2011 after a months-long military standoff in which they received assistance from NATO forces. Clinton will also meet with Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, President Moncef Marzouki, and members of civil society. In Algeria on February 25, the U.S. state secretary will meet with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to discuss domestic developments, preparations for the May 10 parliamentary elections, and regional challenges. “In Morocco on February 26, she will meet with Foreign Minister [Saadeddine] El Othmani, before presiding over a groundbreaking for the new U.S. embassy in Rabat,” Nuland said.