Berlin, Nov 28, SPA -- Germany's foreign minister departed Mondayfor the United States in the first opportunity forChancellor Angela Merkel's new government to step uprelations with the Bush administration that chilled overthe war in Iraq. Frank-Walter Steinmeier was flying to New York to meetU.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan before traveling on toWashington for talks on Tuesday with U.S. officials,including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. His trip comes less than a week after Merkel took power,vowing to build closer ties with Washington and after U.S.officials expressed hope that Germany could provide moreassistance to Iraq _ but also amid rising concern aboutalleged CIA activities in Europe. In an interview published on the eve of his departure,Steinmeier expressed concern about allegations thatclandestine CIA flights carrying terror suspects may havepassed through bases in Germany. But he did not indicatewhether he would raise the issue with U.S. officials. "The foreign minister must evaluate facts, not newspaperreports" Steinmeier was quoted as saying by the Bild amSonntag weekly. "What you can read there would indeed be acause for concern. "That is why it is good that British Foreign SecretaryJack Straw officially will ask in the name of the EU forinformation," Steinmeier was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.--SPA1443 Local Time 1143 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/306127