The European Union "troika" is going to the United States on Sunday 18 and Monday 19 March, to meet the US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice. The community delegation will be made up of Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany (currently in charge of EU presidency); Javier Solana, High Representative for foreign policy; Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for external relations. The Washington meeting it is explained in a note by the German government, "will focus on the relationship between the European Union and the United States, and on the preparation of the transatlantic summit, which is also taking place in Washington on 30 April". Other issues "to which both EU and the USA are committed" are being discussed on Monday: the Middle East, the Iranian nuclear dossier, Kosovo. Alongside the meeting between the troika and Mrs. Rice, there will be a forum of entrepreneurs "to discuss energy collaboration" between the two entities. Among the purposes of the meeting, there is the one of "checking concrete opportunities for common energy research".
