Envoys of Afghanistan and its neighbors to meet in Paris

Paris, Dec. 14 (ANI): Envoys from Afghanistan, its neighbours and the world's great powers are meeting here today to discuss ways to ease Afghanistan's socio-economic crisis.

States around Afghanistan, especially Pakistan and Iran, are likely to be told to help in Kabul's attempt to regain control of the war ravaged and economically deprived land.

India's Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher and Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will be some of the participants at the meeting.

Hosts France see the talks as a continuation of the process launched at a conference in Paris in June that saw countries promise 20 billion euros in aid for Afghanistan's reconstruction programme.

The envoys will hold a full day of closed-door talks at French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's official out-of-town residence at La Celle-Saint-Cloud in the leafy western suburbs of Paris. (ANI)