Tunis — US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has cancelled her participation in the Forum for the Future, held in Tunis on December 11-13, Secretary of State in Charge of Asian and American Affairs Hédi Ben Abbas told TAP news agency.

"We have received a call from US authorities on Monday evening confirming that Mrs. Clinton will not attend this forum and will be represented by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns," he said.

Mrs. Clinton cancelled her trip week to Morocco, Tunisia and Abu Dhabi this week because of a "stomach virus," the State Department announced on Monday evening.

The Forum for the Future, which gathers the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries and the G8 states as well as several partner countries, is held with the participation of MENA and G8 countries' Foreign ministers as well as delegates of the civil society and business sector.

The agenda of the Forum 2012, co-chaired by Tunisia (host country) and the United States (current G8 President ), will focus on political reform, supremacy of the law, women's empowerment, human rights as well as freedom of expression and governance.