Rice arrives in Egypt, ready for Iran

By Sue Pleming

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Egypt on Wednesday for meetings to try and stabilise Iraq and said she could also address any question from Iran on the sidelines of the talks.

En route to the Red Sea coastal resort, Rice sought to tone down expectations on the outcome of two days of meetings bringing in Iraq's neighbours, including Iran and Syria, as well as the G8 and European Union.

"Let's not have overreaching expectations (about the meetings). It will take some time to overcome suspicions in the region," she told reporters travelling with her.

On arrival, her first meeting was with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, to be followed by talks with U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Direct talks with U.S. foes Iran and Syria were not on the official agenda but Rice said she would not avoid an exchange with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

"If we encounter each other then I am certainly planning to be polite and see what that encounter brings," said Rice, who attended a meeting with Mottaki about Iraq last September at the United Nations but did not have any contact with him.

Rice said talks with Iran, which could be the most substantive high-level U.S. meeting with Tehran in nearly three decades, would focus on Iraq but she would not cut off a conversation if it turned to Tehran's nuclear program.

"I think I can handle any question that is asked of me," she said. "If we encounter each other and wander to other subjects I am prepared to address them at least in terms of American policy," added Rice.