Kerry to visit Europe, Turkey, Egypt, Gulf on first trip

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2013 (Reuters) — Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to four Western European countries as well as Turkey, Egypt and the Gulf from February 24 to March 6 on his first trip as the top U.S. diplomat, the State Department said on Tuesday.



Kerry will visit London, Berlin, Paris and Rome, where he will attend a gathering of foreign ministers to discuss the civil war in Syria, and then on to Ankara, Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily briefing.

Kerry was sworn in as secretary of state on February 1, replacing Hillary Clinton.

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Will Dunham)