US delegation to attend meeting on Afghanistan in Beijing

WASHINGTON - A senior advisor to US President Barack Obama will lead a high-level delegation to attend an international conference on Afghanistan in Beijing, China, the US State Department said on Wednesday.

The US delegation to the Fourth Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, headed by White House counselor John Podesta, includes senior officials from the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Agency for International Development, the State Department said in a statement.

"This high-level delegation demonstrates continued US commitment to Afghanistan and regional stability," said the statement, adding that the conference will focus on efforts to expand political, security and economic support for Afghanistan.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will attend and address the meeting to be held Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Tuesday.

According to Hong, foreign ministers or representatives from 14 member countries of the process, 16 other countries, 12 supporting international and regional organizations, and four countries and organizations with chairmanship will attend the meeting.

US Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns headed previous US delegations to the meetings in 2011, 2012 and 2013.