Kerry leaves for Russia and Italy

US Secretary of State John Kerry left for overseas trip to Moscow and Rome, during which Syria, North Korea and Afghanistan is expected to consume most of his deliberations with his foreign counterparts.
In Moscow, Kerry will meet senior Russian government officials to discuss Syria, North Korea, Afghanistan, and other bilateral and global issues, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said yesterday, adding that he also plans to meet with representatives from civil society.
"On May 8, Kerry will travel to Rome, Italy, where he will meet with senior Italian government officials to discuss the full range of bilateral and global issues, including events in Afghanistan, Syria, and elsewhere in the Middle East," she said.

In Rome, Kerry will also meet the Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh to discuss regional issues and with Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni as part of his ongoing discussions on the path to peace, Psaki said.
A State Department official told reporters that in Moscow he expects serious conversation on Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan.
"There, we will underscore the kind of continuity of cooperation that we have had with Russia on those important issues, for us at least," the official said.

Kerry's trip to Moscow is also seen in preparation for the forthcoming meetings between US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

The US National Security Advisor (NSA), Tom Donilon, had travelled to Moscow last month where he brought a letter from Obama outlining US expectations and aspirations for US-Russian relations over the next several months and years.
Officials also expect a serious dialogue on issues of trade and cooperation.
"Both Putin and Obama, in their meetings and in other settings, have made clear that they want to see more activity in terms of our bilateral relationship in this dimension, and so this trip will give us an opportunity to discuss some of the ideas that we've outlined in that sphere," the official said.

"Without question, we will be discussing counterterrorism cooperation, and what I would say is a new era in US-Russian cooperation on that front in the wake of the tragedy in Boston," the official said.
The two countries are intensifying that dialogue, looking for new ways of cooperating, both with regard to the current investigation, but also looking forward to ways that they can deal with what the US considers to be a common set of interests that the US has with Russia on that front, she added.