U.S. deputy secretary of state to travel to Turkey and Ukraine
Burns will discuss counterterrorism, Syria's civil war and Cyprus with Turkey's foreign ministry undersecretary.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will travel to Turkey and Ukraine from February 24 to 26, according to the State Department.
Burns will meet with Turkey's Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu in Istanbul on Monday to discuss bilateral and regional issues including counterterrorism, Syria's civil war and Cyprus.
Following his meeting in Turkey, Burns will meet with Ukraine's leaders in the capital Kiev. In addition, he will "honor the memory of the victims of the tragic events of last week."
While in Ukraine he will meet with acting President Oleksandr Turchynov; Arseniy Yatsenyuk, chairman of the opposition party Verkhovna Rada; and Rada deputies to "urge the new government to take all steps necessary for free and fair presidential elections in May."
Burns will be accompanied by representatives from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. National Economic Council who will work with their European Union and International Monetary Fund counterparts to discuss economic assistance for Ukraine.
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