US, European allies need to deal with Russia on "serious" issues

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said late Thursday the United States and European partners need to deal with Russia on "serious and continuing" difference on Syria, missile defense, NATO enlargement, human rights, and other issues.  "We've made progress with Moscow on areas such as nuclear arms reduction, sanctions on Iran, and trade, and we seek to expand our areas of cooperation. But the reality is that we have serious and continuing differences on Syria, missile defense, NATO enlargement, human rights, and other issues.  "It will be up to us and our European partners to continue looking for opportunities to engage with Russia and to make progress on the issues that matter to us," Clinton said at the Foreign Policy Group's "Transformational Trends 2013" Forum in Washington.  "If the United States and Europe are not strong, stable, and prosperous in the long-term, our ability to tackle these and other issues will be put at risk. If we can't make the necessary investments in defense, diplomacy, and development, our partnership might not bear the weight of these 21st century challenges," Clinton stated.  Next week, Clinton will make her 38th visit to Europe, visiting Czech Republic, Belgium, Ireland, and Northern Ireland, she confirmed late Thursday.  In Prague, Clinton will see senior officials to discuss efforts to promote Czech energy independence and to advance human rights and democracy. In Brussels, The Secretary will meet with NATO allies to talk about the broad range of security challenges. She will meet with EU counterparts to discuss the future of energy security. In Dublin, Clinton will join her colleagues from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to renew and review progress in advancing security, democracy, and human rights across Europe and Eurasia. In Belfast, Clinton will meet leaders and citizens to reiterate America's commitment to a peaceful, prosperous Northern Ireland.  The United States is modernizing its defensive capabilities across Europe. It currently maintains the largest permanent military presence outside the US there as well. The US military has deployed a critical radar in Turkey.  In the coming years, new interceptor systems will be deployed in Romania and Poland, enhancing US defensive capabilities.  Separately, Clinton said a US-European Union trade agreement would increase prosperity and security for both sides, shoring up global competitiveness for the next century.  Clinton's strong endorsement of the proposed pact was the latest indication that the United States and the 27 nations of the European Union (EU) could launch talks on a comprehensive trade agreement early next year.  The United States and the EU account for about half the world's economic output and nearly a third of world trade. A deal could increase economic output by USD 158 billion a year for Europe and add 0.52 percent to the EU's gross domestic product in the long term, according to European Commission estimates.