MUNICH - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived here Friday for international security talks where aides said she would send a "strong message of support" for ties with Europe as Washington makes a strategic pivot to Asia.

During her visit to the southern German city of Munich, aides added, Clinton would also discuss Afghanistan, Iran and the Arab pro-democracy revolutions, including the uprising in Syria which faces a looming UN Security Council vote.

In a highlight at the annual Munich Security Conference, the chief US diplomat will join US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Saturday in speaking to a Euro-Atlantic Security Community Initiative Session and take questions.

A senior State Department official told reporters on Clinton's plane that "that'a real opportunity for the two of them together to send a strong message of support for an engagement with Europe," the traditional US security partner.

The official said on condition of anonymity that Panetta would discuss the implications for Europe of a defense review under which the United States is increasing its forces in Asia and reducing them in the Middle East and Europe.

Forced to make tough choices in tight budgetary times, Washington sees the new strategic challenge in the Asia-Pacific region as a newly powerful and assertive China rattles US allies in the region.

For her part, Clinton will discuss what a "key partner" Europe is in "the global security, economic, democracy promotion agenda that we have," the official said during the flight from Washington.

Officials said Clinton will also hold a number of bilateral talks, including with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohammed Amr.

They said Clinton would speak with Lavrov about the Security Council debate on Syria, which is due to come to a head on Saturday with a vote on a resolution aimed at supporting an Arab League plan for a political transition.

The senior State Department official also predicted frank talks with Yanukovych, whom Clinton is "likely" to see.

"We would like to see a much stronger US relationship with Ukraine, but we also have some expectations of Ukraine," including in the area of democracy and the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, he said.

"We're concerned about what really looks like selective prosecution," the official said.

The official did not say what was on the agenda for Clinton's talks with Amr, but a continuing Egyptian government crackdown on US-funded pro-democracy groups has infuriated Washington.

The official said Clinton was also likely to discuss with her partners at the conference common efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and NATO plans to hand security to the security forces of Afghan President Hamid Karzai.