WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden will visit three European countries next month, his first foreign trip in the Obama administration's new term.

The White House says Biden will make stops in Germany, France and the United Kingdom. He is expected to meet with the leaders of each country as well as with other government officials.

In Germany, Biden will speak at the Munich Security Conference, an international gathering focused on global security issues.

The vice president's trip comes as Europe grapples with a debt crisis that has reverberated in the U.S.

Obama administration officials fear any worsening of the situation in Europe could disrupt positive economic trends in the U.S.