Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick will travel this week to Sudan, Jordan, and Egypt, pushing for peaceful transition of government and end to conflict in Sudan, reconstruction and democratic development in Iraq , the State Department said. In Sudan, the second-ranking U.S. diplomat will join Sudanese and African leaders in marking the establishment of a national unity government and interim constitution under the Comprehensive Peace Accord that came into force at the beginning of the year, the department said in a statement. Zoellick also will make his third visit to Darfur "to assess the humanitarian and security situation by meeting with local leaders, representatives of the NGO (non-governmental organization) community and aid workers, and the African Union's security forces," the statement said. In Jordan, the deputy secretary of state will head the U.S. delegation to the United States-Iraq Joint Commission on Reconstruction and Economic Development. He is expected to discuss with his Iraqi counterparts strategy and next steps on several reconstruction issues. Zoellick also will hold meetings with Jordanian officials to discuss their reform efforts, the department said.
