US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit London next week for talks on Afghanistan, Iran, and other issues with Britain's foreign minister, the State Department announced Friday. Rice is expected to meet Wednesday with Foreign Minister David Miliband and also will likely see Prime Minister Gordon Brown during her visit, department spokesman Sean McCormack said. “I expect they will talk a little bit about Iran, talk some about Iraq, talk some about Afghanistan,” McCormack told reporters. In Afghanistan, Taliban attacks are increasing and the United States and Canada want more troops from European NATO members to stabilize the country. Rice and top Pentagon officials have increased their Afghanistan diplomacy in recent weeks, urging close allies to contribute more. “I won't make a secret of the fact that we are encouraging all of our NATO allies to do everything that they can in terms of contributing resources,” McCormack said. “We are in a fight in Afghanistan against violent extremists, whether that's al Qaida or the Taliban or any other associated group.” This week, Rice raised the issue with Australia's foreign minister and asked France's defense minister on Thursday to do everything his government could to help, McCormack said. Rice also discussed Afghanistan with German officials during a trip to Berlin last week. Another key topic during Dice's visit to London will be Iran. Last week, Rice and ministers from the other permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany agreed on elements of a new draft sanctions resolution against Iran. The resolution, which is weaker than the United States would have wanted because of opposition from Russia and China, is being circulated at the United Nations. It is unclear when there will be a vote.
