John Kerry's first foreign stop as secretary of state: London

John Kerry got down to the real business of being America's top diplomat Sunday, embarking on a nine-country "listening tour" to gauge views on Syria, Iran and the Israelis-Palestinian conflict.

The 11-day trip – Kerry's first as secretary of state – will take him to London before heading to Berlin, Paris, Rome, Ankara, Cairo, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha.

It is being framed as introductory trip for the seasoned politician, who has served 28 years in the US Senate, all of them as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the last four as its chairman. But it also comes as the US seeks to bring new ideas to thorny international problems, such as conflict in Syria, the growing threat of Islamic extremism in west Africa and Iran's nuclear programme.

Talks begin in London, where he is slated to discuss a range of issues with British officials. Topics on the agenda include the status of the Falkland Islands, claimed by both the UK and Argentina.

From there, Kerry will travel to Berlin, Paris and Rome, where he is due to meet members of the Syrian opposition.

To date, President Barack Obama has limited US support for Syrian rebels to non-lethal aid. Despite receiving weapons from countries such as Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the rebels are poorly armed compared to Assad's army and loyalist militias.

Despite some talk the US position on arming the opposition may be evolving, US officials have indicated that the inaugural Kerry trip as state secretary will not result in an immediate shift in policy.

Prior to leaving Washington, officials told reporters that the trip would primarily be a "listening tour".

And despite the numerous Middle East stops, Kerry's travel itinerary does not take in Israel or the Palestinian territories. Instead he will wait until March, when he intends to visit the region alongside Obama.