Clinton Plans First Meetings With European Allies

`I expect these will be very, very substantive meetings,` said Wood.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to have her first substantive meetings with foreign ministers from close European allies Germany and Britain on Tuesday, the State Department said on Monday.

Iran, Afghanistan and other foreign policy challenges will be on the agenda in her separate talks in Washington with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters.

Since taking over the top U.S. diplomatic post nearly two weeks ago, the former New York senator and first lady has made scores of phone calls to foreign ministers across the globe.

But Tuesday's meetings will be her first face-to-face talks with close European allies.

"I expect these will be very, very substantive meetings," said Wood.

On Wednesday, senior diplomats from France, Germany, Britain, the United States, Russia and China are set to meet in Germany to discuss a joint strategy to get Iran to curb its nuclear program, a topic Clinton is likely to cover with both ministers on Tuesday.