The European Union (EU)'s foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana will discuss Iran, the Middle East and other issues with senior US officials this week during a visit to Washington.

Solana starts a two-day visit to Washington Tuesday, when he will meet with US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other US officials, the Council of the EU said in a statement Monday.

On Wednesday, he will discuss the latest developments with US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice and her deputy Robert Zoellick. He will also meet US National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, Republican senator Chuck Hagel and Democratic senator Hillary Clinton.

"The visit will provide an opportunity to discuss a broad spectrum of issues in the framework of EU-US relations and to exchange views on foreign policy issues of common concern, including Iran, the Middle East, the Western Balkans and Africa, in particular regional developments in Sudan/Darfur and DRC Congo, " the statement said.

The visit to Washington follows a brief stop at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Monday, when Solana is scheduled to meet with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and several senior UN diplomats.

Source: Xinhua