A senior official from the U.S. Department of Treasury will visit several European countries for counterterrorism matters as well as sanctions on Iran and Syria, the department said in a statement on Monday.

Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen will discuss how Washington and its partners can work together to prevent terrorist organizations from using kidnapping for ransom as a key means of funding their activities, said the Treasury statement.

Cohen, during his visits to France, Germany, Italy and Britain from Monday to Friday, will also discuss efforts to further increase pressure on the Iranian and Syrian governments through sanctions, according to the statement.

On Friday he will deliver remarks at the Chatham House, the London-based think tank of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, on kidnapping for ransom, it noted.

It added that Cohen will take the podium to highlight how al- Qaida and its affiliates, in particular its affiliate in North Africa, have turned to kidnapping for ransom to finance their operations.