Afghanistan, Neighbors, World Powers Meet In Paris

Afghanistan, Neighbors, World Powers Meet In Paris

Last updated at: 14.12.2008 16:55

Senior officials from Afghanistan, its neighboring countries, and world powers are meeting on December 14 in Paris to discuss ways of ending the Afghan conflict and helping the country rebuild.

The envoys gathered early today at French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's official residence in Saint Cloud, a leafy Paris suburb, for a day of closed-door talks on Afghanistan.

The meeting brings together officials from Pakistan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and India. Senior European Union officials and representatives from UN Security Council members Russia, the United States, and Britain are also in attendance.

French officials, whose country currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency, say the conference aims at persuading countries neighboring Afghanistan to be more active in supporting Kabul's efforts to regain control of the country amid a mounting Taliban insurgency.

Pakistan and Iran, in particular, will be asked to cooperate more closely with the international community in combating Taliban and extremist forces operating in Afghanistan.

Washington has charged Iran with selling weapons to extremist groups, while Pakistan has been accused of dragging its feet in preventing cross-border operations by the Taliban, many of whom have bases in Pakistan. In recent weeks, NATO convoys have been attacked within Pakistan itself.

No Breakthrough Expected

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, however, sought to play down these accusations ahead of today's meeting. "There's a greater level of confidence between the leadership of Afghanistan and Pakistan," he told reporters on December 13 in Paris.

The talks in Saint Cloud come just months after a June international conference in Paris during which nations pledged more than $20 billion in aid for Afghan reconstruction.

The meeting is not expected to yield any major breakthrough as no key decision can be taken on Afghanistan until U.S. President-elect Barack Obama takes office on January 20.

Assadullah Omar, Afghanistan's ambassador to France, told RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan that the meeting is informal and "not one during which resolutions are adopted."

"Its goal is an exchange of views and free, informal discussion. All countries were present apart from Iran, which couldn't attend. Nobody knows why yet," Omar said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has reportedly cancelled his visit to Paris after French President Nicolas Sarkozy criticized Iran's rhetoric against Israel.

Sarkozy said earlier this week that he could not "shake hands" or "sit at the same table" with Mahmud Ahmadinejad, as the Iranian president "has dared to say that Israel should be wiped off the map."

Mottaki on December 13 failed to show up at a meeting with his French counterpart Kouchner in the French capital.

The talks also brings Pakistani and Indian officials together as the two countries continue to trade barbs over last month's attacks on the Indian city of Mumbai, which New Delhi blames on Pakistani militants.

Following the talks, participants are due to give a news conference and dine at the French Foreign Ministry.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Afghanistan_Neighbors_World_Powers_Meet_In_Paris/1359608.html

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Afghanistan, Neighbors, World Powers Meet In Paris