Former Massachusetts Governor and likely GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is raising his international profile with a weeklong trip to Afghanistan, according to the Associated Press.
Romney met with General David Petraeus, commander of Allied forces in Afghanistan, and is due to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, senior advisor Eric Fehrnstrom said.
According to Fehrnstrom, Romney will also “train Afghans and share with local leaders his views on issues of leadership, public service, economic opportunity and democratic participation.”
The last time Romney visited Afghanistan was 2006 as he prepared to campaign for the 2008 Republican nomination. Romney is planning to meet with King Abdullah II in Jordan and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel later this week.
Some of Romney’s potential GOP primary opponents recently made trips abroad. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin visited Haiti in December, while former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty visited Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait last July.
The nonpartisan International Republican Institute and the American Israel Education Foundation are financing Romney’s trip. AIEF is a charitable organization affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
