Joe Biden Speaks in Germany of Better International Relations

Vice President Joe Biden is trying to get more help from Europe for Afghanistan and Pakistan.
On Iran, Obama is likely to be holding behind the scenes quiet talk until he gets the stimulus bill going.

CNN: Biden told delegates at a security conference that the United States will work "preventively, not pre-emptively" whenever possible to avoid conflict, and will at the same time "vigorously defend" the nation's security.

He also said the United States will do everything possible to end the threat posed by extremists.

"We reject as false the choice between our safety and ideals," Biden told the Munich Security Conference audience, which included German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy. "America will vigorously defend our security and our values, and in doing so we will all be more secure."

That policy will be in force at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, the U.S. prison that the Obama administration intends to close, Biden said.

Get caught up on your Russia, Afghanistan and Iran

Biden on Russia:

Obama ordered a strategic review of U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan and is soliciting input from allies, Biden said.

"We are sincere in seeking your counsel," Biden said. "As we undertake this review, there's a lot at stake. The result must be a comprehensive strategy for which we all take responsibility."

The United States also aims to increase foreign assistance to ease poverty, boost education, cancel the debts of poor countries, and launch a "green revolution" that produces sustainable supplies of food.

"We also are determined to build a sustainable future for our planet," Biden said. "We are prepared to once again lead by example."

On the issue of a U.S. missile shield in Eastern Europe -- a bone of contention with Russia -- Biden said the United States will remain firm in defending against the nuclear threat, and he said Washington aims to work together with Moscow.

"We will not agree with Russia on everything," he said. "For example, the United States will not -- will not -- recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. We will not recognize any nation having a sphere of influence."

But, Biden added, "the United States and Russia can disagree and still work together where our interests coincide, and they coincide in many places." CNN

Feb. 15, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also boasting of better relations with Russia, is on tour:

Late Thursday, the Associated Press reported Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would visit Japan, South Korea, China and Indonesia.
State Department Spokesman Robert Wood said Thursday that Clinton will visit the four countries starting Feb. 15 in a sign of the importance of President Barack Obama's administration places on relations with the Pacific Rim.

Biden met with Indonesia's vice president Jusuf Kalla in Washington:

Kalla said Indonesia hailed the changes Obama had initiated but was curious to see if they would have an impact on relations between the West and the Muslim world, relations which soured during the administration of former President George W. Bush.
"Now it depends on how the US approaches Muslim countries," he said.
While Kalla was not scheduled to meet with Biden during his stay, the US Vice President changed his plans and met with the Indonesian Vice President at the White House on Wednesday.
"I am the first Vice President to be welcomed by Vice President Biden in the United States," Kalla told Antara.

Joe in Munich: