WASHINGTON, April 29: US Secretary of State, Colin L. Powell, will travel to Europe and the Middle East, stopping over in Spain, Albania, Syria, and Lebanon, the State Department announced on Tuesday.

The secretary’s three-day visit — May 1 to 3 — will be an opportunity to discuss bilateral relations, the liberation of Iraq and progress towards a democratic, representative government in Baghdad, the department said.

He will also be discussing US efforts for advancing the Arab-Israeli peace, said the department’s spokesman Richard Boucher.

“His meetings in Spain will give the secretary the opportunity to consult with the leadership of one of our key partners in the war against terrorism and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as on the UN Security Council,” Boucher said.

In Albania, Mr Powell will sign the Adriatic Charter of Partnership with the foreign ministers of Albania, Macedonia, and Croatia, underscoring US support for the three countries’ efforts and efforts towards eventual full integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

The spokesman said that Mr Powell will return to the region on another trip once the new Palestinian cabinet begins its work. “That visit will afford the secretary an opportunity to advance the president’s vision of two states — Israel and an independent Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security,” he added.