Clinton NI visit 'not imminent'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8177874.stm

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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton does not have any immediate plans to visit Northern Ireland, it has emerged.

It had been thought Mrs Clinton, who visited NI a number of times when her husband Bill was president, was planning a trip in the autumn.

However, a spokesman for Mrs Clinton has said she has no such immediate plans.

He also said Mrs Clinton would not take on a special envoy to NI role, as has also been suggested recently.

"She is the Secretary of State, not a special envoy," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told the New York-based Irish Echo newspaper.

However, State Department officials have said Mrs Clinton would remain "active on Northern Ireland" and that she would like to visit NI again "eventually".