Foreign Secretary Gokhale to attend Kabul Process Conference

Foreign Secretary of India, Vijay K. Gokhale, will attend the forthcoming Kabul Process Conference, which aims to discuss security and political issues in Afghanistan.

Nearly 23 countries including Pakistan, represented by its foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua, would participate in the day long event in Kabul on Wednesday.

International bodies like the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) are also scheduled to converge into the Afghan capital to attend the conference.

The meeting aims to secure support for an agreement to end backing of cross-border terrorism and to find a peaceful solution in ending the decades-long insurgency in Afghanistan.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday said that his government will table an inclusive proposal to Pakistan and the Taliban during the conference.

"At the Kabul Process meeting I will recommend a comprehensive plan to the Taliban and Pakistan, but we are no longer a hostage, we have good intention for peace but it does not mean weakness," the TOLOnews quoted Ghani as saying.

Kabul, in recent times, has accused Islamabad of supporting cross-border terrorism and harbouring the Taliban.

Ghani is expected to highlight the strong commitment of his government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan at the conference.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said all necessary arrangements were in place to convene the meeting.

"It is expected that the meeting will focus on two topics mainly relating to the modality of the peace process and the fight against terrorism," said MoFA spokesman Shekib Mustaghni.

Political analysts said that the role of countries attending the meeting is crucial to coordinate the views of regional countries regarding peace and stability in Afghanistan and the campaign against terrorism.

The conference comes after a series of deadly terrorist attacks that have ravaged the country in recent weeks, killing over 150 people, especially in the the capital, Kabul.

The first edition of such a conference was held in Kabul in June last year.

More than 25 countries, including Russia, China, India and Pakistan had participated in the conference and had agreed to call on the armed groups to shun violence and sit for talks with the Afghan government for ensuring peace in Afghanistan.