Ms Clinton, who came into work on Wednesday, has divided her time between working from home and at the State Department since she broke her elbow on June 17. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
WASHINGTON - US SECRETARY of State Hillary Clinton has cancelled plans to visit Moscow with President Barack Obama and will send someone in her place, a State Department official said on Wednesday.
'Not an excuse to avoid Zelaya'
Mr Tom Shannon, the assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, was the official who met with Mr Zelaya late on Tuesday.
Asked if Ms Clinton stayed at home as an excuse to avoid Mr Zelaya, who is close to leftist anti-American President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Kelly replied: 'You shouldn't read anything into that at all.' He added: 'I think you can imagine why she's working from home. She had a very serious break in her elbow, and she is recovering from that.
'Secretary Clinton is not going to go to Moscow. She is going to designate a State Department official to go on the' trip, the official told reporters on the condition of anonymity.
He did not give a reason but Ms Clinton cancelled a trip to Greece and Italy last week because she is recovering from a broken elbow.
State Department officials had said Ms Clinton planned to join Mr Obama in the Russian capital this month.
Mr Obama is set to arrive in Moscow on Monday with his wife Michelle, for a visit which includes talks with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
The US president is due to make an onward trip to the Group of Eight summit in Italy and Ghana.
The State Department official said Ms Clinton has no plans to cancel another trip later in the month to Asia.
'She fully plans to do Asia,' the official added.
Ms Clinton, who came into work on Wednesday, has divided her time between working from home and at the State Department since she broke her elbow on June 17.
Ms Clinton did not meet ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya when he visited Washington on Tuesday for an emergency meeting of the Organisation of American States, even though Washington is pushing for his return to power. -- AFP
