US Deputy State Secy to visit Eastern, Central Europe

Washington, Aug 24 (IANS) US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun will travel to Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Austria over the coming week, the State Department said.During the trip starting from Monday to Thursday, Biegun will meet senior government leaders to discuss a range of regional and international issues during his visit to Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine, Xinhua news agency quoted the Department as saying on Sunday.The No. 2 U.S. diplomat will also travel to Vienna, Austria on Thursday to meet his counterparts at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to discuss issues related to regional security and human rights.Biegun's trip to Russia and Lithuania will reportedly would focus on the ongoing crisis in Belarus, the Department added.Belarus has witnessed mass protests after incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term during the August 9 elections, with the opposition refusing to recognize the results.
--IANS ksk/