BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of State, John Kerry has set off on his first official overseas trip, hoping to bring new ideas to Europe and the Middle East about how to end nearly two years of violence in .

Kerry’s nine-nation, 10-day trip will take him to America’s traditional European allies of Britain, , and Italy, along with Turkey, , Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. In addition to Syria, he will focus on the conflicts in Mali and , and on ’s nuclear program.

Kerry says he is eager to discuss new ways of persuading Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to step down and usher in a democratic transition in the country. He has not offered details of his ideas but officials say they revolve around increasing pressure on Assad and his inner circle.

(Source: CNTV.cn)