Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


                        Kerry Heads to Middle East, Asia

   U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heads to the Middle East Saturday to
   push for progress on Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
   He is to meet in Istanbul with Turkish officials including Prime
   Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to discuss efforts to end the civil war
   in Syria that has continued for two years.
   The State Department says he will also push for confidence-building
   measures between Israel and the Palestinians, and for Turkey to try to
   improve the relationship damaged when Israel blocked a Turkish flotilla
   from delivering aid to the Gaza Strip in 2010. Eight Turks and a
   Turkish-American died in that incident.
   Kerry later goes on to visit Britain, South Korea, China and Japan.
   Many of the conversations in east Asia are likely to center on North
   Korea`s nuclear program and escalating threats against South Korea and
   the United States.
   The top U.S. diplomat leaves Tokyo to return to Washington April 15.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-heads-to-middle-east-asia/16360
   00.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-heads-to-middle-east-asia/1636000.html