US defence chief Chuck Hagel to visit Georgia, Turkey after Nato summit

US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel speaks to the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon on August 21, 2014 in Arlington, Virginia. It has been announced that he will travel to Georgia and Turkey after attending a Nato summit in Cardiff n
US Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel speaks to the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon on August 21, 2014 in Arlington, Virginia. It has been announced that he will travel to Georgia and Turkey after attending a Nato summit in Cardiff next week, as escalating conflicts in Ukraine, Syria and Iraq dominate his agenda.  -- PHOTO: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel will travel to Georgia and Turkey after attending a Nato summit in Cardiff next week, as escalating conflicts in Ukraine, Syria and Iraq dominate his agenda.

Hagel will depart next Wednesday on the six-day trip that will begin with the Nato gathering in Wales, where leaders will discuss "crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, and how to strengthen the alliance for the future," Pentagon spokesman Rear-Admiral John Kirby told reporters.

Hagel will then proceed to Georgia, a country that has sought membership in Nato, and that "shares our concerns about Russia's actions in Ukraine," Kirby said.

After Georgia, the US defence secretary will fly to Turkey for his first visit as Pentagon chief.

"Turkey is a key Nato ally, and given its border with Syria and Iraq, they share our deep concerns with the... regional threat posed by" Islamic State militants, he added.

Before heading to Cardiff, Hagel will stop in Newport, Rhode Island, to deliver a speech at a defence industry conference.

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