I feel I already know you, Beckett tells Rice
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-05-09 09:35
Margaret Beckett made her international debut as Britain's foreign secretary
on Monday, telling U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice after their first
meeting that she felt like she knew her already.
British Foreign
Secretary Margaret Beckett (C) and British Ambassador to the UN Emyr Jones
Parry (L) depart after a meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (not
pictured) at the United Nations in New York May 8, 2006. Foreign ministers
of the P5+Germany are to meet on Monday and Tuesday to try to hammer out
an agreement about the next steps in attempting to prevent Iran from
gaining access to nuclear weapons. [Reuters] |
Beckett met Rice in the top U.S. diplomat's hotel suite in New York before
the two were set to hold a dinner with other foreign ministers from the
permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany to discuss
Iran.
"I have heard so much about you from my predecessor ... I feel as if I know
you already," said Beckett, who was appointed foreign minister in a Cabinet
reshuffle last week that saw her predecessor, Jack Straw, demoted from the key
post.
Beckett, a former environment minister, said Britain would continue to have a
strong relationship with the United States, one of its closest allies.
Rice, who had a close friendship with Straw and telephoned to wish him well
after he lost his job, said the two women discussed their backgrounds and how
they got where they were.
"We had a wonderful discussion and we are getting to know each other," Rice
said after meeting Beckett.
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