Next Afghan Conference Set For July

President Hamid Karzai speaks with US Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke in Kabul

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton plans to attend an international conference in Afghanistan on July 20.

That according to Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan.

He said the Kabul conference will replace a meeting of foreign ministers originally set for late May.

The Kabul conference is expected to assess progress since the Jan. 28 conference in London which agreed that Afghan forces should aim to take the lead role in providing security in a number of provinces by late 2010

Holbrooke also noted the Kabul meeting will follow a series of events including Afghan President Hamid Karzai's May 10-14 visit to Washington and an Afghan "peace jirga", or council, set for around May 20.

Holbrooke was also upbeat on U.S. relations with its Afghan ally, saying ties were in "good shape" despite a spate of anti-Western remarks by Karzai this month.

compiled from agency reports