Iran Fn Min, to attend Afghanistan Conclave on Nov 18-19

New Delhi, Nov 6 (UNI) Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki and Pakistan's State Minister for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar are among the 14 dignitaries who will head their respective countries' delegations at the upcoming Second Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan (RECC), being held here on November 18-19.

The conclave, which will discuss cooperation among regional countries for development and security in war-ravaged Afghanistan will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai.

The first such conference was held in Kabul in December last year which was co-hosted by UK and Afghanistan. It was attended by 11 neighbouring countries and G-8 nations.

The US delegation will be led by Richard Boucher, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs.

The other countries which have confirmed their participation so far in the two-day conclave are Canada, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan and UK besides Afghanistan and India.

Besides countries, international organisations including the UN, World Bank, UNDP, SAARC, the European Council, European Commission Asian Development Bank and AKDN will also attend the conclave.

The Conference envisages to bring together on one platform all importrant regional countries and organisations which have a stake in the development and security of Afghanistan, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said today.

The New Delhi Conference will review and follow up on all the decisions arrived at the last conference.

It will also take up the matters mentioned in the Declaration that was adopted at the first such conference. These include trade facilitation and transport, investment, electricity and energy development, agriculture and agro-potential.

A parallel Business Conference will also be organised by three apex organisations--CII, FICCI and ASSOCHAM--and the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency.

The conference aims at accelerating regional cooperation for Afghanistan's economic development and security in the war-ravaged country.

UNI RB SAM DB1829