V K Singh to visit China to attend key meeting on Afghanistan

BEIJING: Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (Retd) V K Singh will visit China to attend the international conference on Afghanistan on October 31, officials said today.

Singh, the former Army Chief, will represent India at the Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, officials told PTI.

His programme here will be confined mainly to attend the Afghanistan meet, they said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will attend the Fourth Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, which focus on the future of the war torn country in the backdrop of plans by US and NATO troops withdrawal from there.

Foreign ministers or representatives from 14 member countries of the process, 16 other countries, 12 supporting international and regional organisations, and four countries and organisations with chairmanship will attend the meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

Ghani has already arrived here today on his first state visit abroad.

The meeting holds great significance as it is the first time, China is hosting a major international meeting on Afghanistan and also the first such meeting since the formation of the new Afghan government, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying told media briefing here earlier.