Reuters
US'S Geithner to meet European, Mideast officials
07.09.09, 03:01 PM EDT
USA-TREASURY/GEITHNER (UPDATE 1):UPDATE 1-US'S Geithner to meet European, Mideast officials
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/reuters/2009/07/09/2009-07-09T190119Z_01_N09470386_RTRIDST_0_USA-TREASURY-GEITHNER-UPDATE-1.html(Adds details, background)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will meet British Finance Minister Alistair Darling next Monday at the start of a trip to Europe and the Middle East to discuss global economic issues and efforts to curb terrorist money flows, Treasury said Thursday.
Yahoo! BuzzGeithner, who will also meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown in London, will visit Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday, stopping in Paris on Thursday to meet French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde before returning to Washington.
Among topics on all the stops, U.S. officials said, will be U.S. "issues with Iran." The United States has sanctions in place against Iran to try to curb its nuclear ambitions and a U.S. official said it was possible more could be imposed if a U.S. policy of attempted engagement with Tehran fails.
In Jeddah, Geithner is scheduled to meet Saudi leaders and deliver a speech. Treasury officials said oil prices likely would come up but in the broader context of what the United States is doing to try to restore stability to its economy.
In both Jeddah and Abu Dhabi not only economic issues but mutual efforts to curb money laundering and the flow of funds between terror groups will be on the agenda, Treasury officials said.
The United States also wants to make the point, however, that flows of investment funds are welcomed, and Geithner will meet leaders of the UAE's top sovereign wealth fund.
While in Paris, he will discuss with Lagarde mutual efforts to promote global growth as well as the bid to both engage Iran more fully while also keeping pressure on Tehran to meet its international commitments, Treasury officials said. (Reporting by Glenn Somerville; Editing by James Dalgleish)
Copyright 2009 Reuters, Click for Restriction