U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Bahrain from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, the U.S. State Department said on Sunday, Xinhua reported.
In Kazakhstan, the top U.S. envoy will attend a summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as head of the U.S. delegation.
At least 65 countries have confirmed their participation in the summit scheduled for Dec. 1-2 in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. As the world's largest regional security organization, the OSCE is composed of 56 participating states from Europe, Central Asia and North America. Kazakhstan chairs the rotating presidency this year.
Prior to the summit, Clinton will "host an event for local and international nongovernmental organizations, underscoring the importance of a vibrant civil society," the U.S. State Department said.
During her stay in Kazakhstan, Clinton will meet the Central Asian country's President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev to discuss "various aspects of the U.S.- Kazakhstan strategic partnership."
While in Kyrgyzstan, Clinton will meet with President and Acting Prime Minister Roza Otunbayeva and other government officials, review political developments in the wake of the country's "historic" parliamentary elections on Oct. 10, and discuss "a range of issues of mutual concern," the U.S. State Department said.
In Uzbekistan, the secretary will meet with President Islam Karimov to discuss a wide range of matters in bilateral relationship and regional affairs.
In Bahrain, she will deliver a keynote address on the U.S. role in regional security at the Manama Dialogue, an annual forum hosted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank, and the Bahraini government.