Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Bill Burns will travel to Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, and Azerbaijan from February 16-19. In Lebanon, on February 16, he will meet with President Sleiman, Prime Minister Hariri, and other Lebanese leaders. His visit to Lebanon demonstrates the United States’ continued support for a sovereign and independent Lebanon.

During his February 17 visit to Syria, Under Secretary Burns will meet with President Assad and Foreign Minister Muallim. His trip to Syria reflects our continued interest in furthering dialogue with the Syrian government on all aspects of our bilateral relationship.

Under Secretary Burns will also travel to Turkey on February 18 for meetings with senior officials pursuant to the 2006 Shared Vision framework for our strategic partnership. From there, he will continue on to Azerbaijan for a meeting on February 19 with President Aliyev to reinforce the strength of our bilateral relations and for a meeting with civil society members.