Washington  - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier vowed Tuesday to strengthen the partnership between their two nations at a meeting in Washington.

Steinmeier called for a new "trans-Atlantic agenda," while Clinton praised Germany as one of the United States' closest partners.

They discussed Afghanistan, which has been a sticking point in relations as Germany has placed restrictions on how its troops there may be used in the broader NATO mission.

"As President Obama has made quite clear, we need our closest allies, like Germany, to help us ensure the success and stability of the Afghanistan nation at this very important moment," Clinton said after the meeting.

Steinmeier earlier said the relationship does not centre simply on the question of whether the German military will send more troops to Afghanistan. Clinton did not publicly discuss the matter in more detail, except to say that the US would address it further after envoy Richard Holbrooke travels to Afghanistan next week.

The two also discussed the global financial crisis, Iran's nuclear programme, the conflict in the Middle East, climate change and disarmament.

On the economy, Steinmeier warned against protectionism. Closed markets "are certainly no help against the crisis," he said.

Steinmeier also met National Security Advisor James Jones. dpa