Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to travel to Togo, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and Cape Verde on Jan. 16 to Jan. 17.

Clinton will be the first U.S. secretary of state to visit Togo, where she will congratulate President Faure Gnassingbe on the country’s recent election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, the State Department said today in a statement.

Togo will hold the seat this year and next year, as the U.S. and its allies seek to mobilize international opinion against Syria for its crackdown on protests. The U.S. is also trying to tighten the economic noose around Iran, to dissuade the country from pursuing its nuclear program.

In Liberia, Clinton will attend the inauguration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. In Cote d’Ivoire, Clinton will meet with President Alassane Dramane Ouattara to support the country’s national reconciliation and democratic development after contested legislative elections in December.

Clinton will focus on counter-narcotics, good governance, economic policies and development in Cape Verde, according to the statement.bloomberg

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