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February 6, 2009

Clinton to Visit Asia on First Overseas Trip
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=221D3ED:A6F02AD83191E1600194A137DB0C7AF00531BB26A5003E7B&
 
State Department says trip will emphasize importance of Asia to US 
Hillary Clinton The State Department says Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton plans to visit Japan, South Korea, China and Indonesia when she
makes her first overseas trip later this month. State Department
spokesman Robert Wood says Clinton's trip to the region, which starts on
February 15, is a sign of the importance President Barack Obama's
administration places on relations with Asia. Wood says the global
financial crisis and efforts to get North Korea to abandon its nuclear
weapons program will top her agenda in Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing. He adds
that Clinton has chosen to visit Indonesia on her first overseas trip
because she wants to reach out to the Muslim world. Wood noted that
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country. In his
inauguration speech, Mr. Obama pledged to seek a new way forward with
the Muslim world. Beijing will be Clinton's final stop on her week-long
trip to Asia.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP


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