William Burns to lead US delegation to AU Summit

WASHINGTON: US Deputy Secretary of State, William Burns would lead the American delegation to the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa this week, an official announcement has said.

On January 29 and 30, Burns will meet with African leaders to bolster cooperation with African partners on economic, governance and security issues, including the situations in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

He will also discuss preparations for the upcoming US-Africa Leaders Summit, scheduled to be held on August 5-6 in Washington.

Burns would be in Amman on January 27 and 28, where he will meet with the Jordanian King Abdullah II, the Prime Minister Abdullah Nsour, and others to discuss a broad range of issues and to reiterate US' commitment to supporting Jordan's stability and security, the State Department said.

The visit will provide an opportunity to consult on key regional issues, such as Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and the crisis in Syria, it said.