U.S. Secretary of State Clinton has announced plans to travel to Egypt and Tunisia next week for the first time since popular uprisings forced out U.S.-backed dictators in both countries.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “Next week, I will travel to Cairo and Tunis to speak directly with the Egyptian and Tunisian people. I will be meeting with their transitional leaders, and I intend to convey strong support of the Obama administration and the American people, that we wish to be a partner in the important work that lies ahead as they embark on a transition to a genuine democracy. We have an enormous stake in ensuring that Egypt and Tunisia provide models for the kind of democracy that we want to see.”