International peace forum on Afghanistan opens in Ashgabat

Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, April 18 / Trend, H. Hasanov / An international meeting designed to 'consolidate the efforts of the international and regional community on Afghanistan's revival has opened in Ashgabat', the event organisers reported on Wednesday. The agenda includes preparation for an international conference on Afghanistan's problems scheduled to be held in Kabul on June 14 at foreign ministers level The preparatory meeting in Ashgabat will consider the project 'Istanbul process: a new agenda for regional cooperation in the Heart of Asia'. The conference in Kabul will be attended by delegations from 15 countries and 14 observer countries, including delegations from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United States, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, France, Japan and the delegation of 10 international and regional organisations, including the UN, EU, NATO, OSCE and UNAMA. The previous meeting was held on Feb.29, 2012 in Kabul. Then, the participants reviewed the project prepared by the Afghan side and decided to intensify regional cooperation in combating terrorism, extremism, organised crime and drug trafficking. These areas have been identified as priorities for regional cooperation and will be reflected in the draft Declaration of Kabul. All these activities are a logical continuation of the Istanbul conference, held on Nov.2, 2011. "The restoration of peace in Afghanistan is a key factor for the whole system of security and sustainable development not only in Central Asia, but on a wider global scale," the Turkmen Foreign Ministry said earlier. Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at agency@trend.az