Secretary of State John Kerry heads off next week for his first overseas trip — a nine-nation journey, that nonetheless skips Israel.
His travel itinerary includes stops in Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, according to the Associated Press. He’ll focus diplomatic talks around ongoing conflicts in Mali, Syria and Afghanistan, according to AP.
SEE RELATED: Secretary of State John Kerry seeks to free $700 million for Palestinian aid
But nothing happening in Israel, or with the Palestinians. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Mr. Kerry wants to give Israeli politicians time to form their coalition government absent outside influence, AP reports. The nation just wrapped up its election; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won reelection.
Mr. Kerry’s trip will go from Feb. 24 to March 6, AP reports.
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Cheryl Chumley is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She’s also a 2008-2009 Robert Novak journalism fellow with The Phillips Foundation. She can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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