Intl conference conducive to building consensus on Afghanistan

UNITED NATIONS - An upcoming international conference on Afghanistan to be held in China is conducive to building consensus among the "Heart of Asia" countries, a Chinese envoy to the United Nations said on Wednesday.

The Fourth Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan, slated for Friday in Beijing with the theme of "Deepening Cooperation for Sustainable Security and Prosperity of the 'Heart of Asia' Region," is of "a great significance," Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the world body, told reporters.

It will be not only the first large-scale international conference on Afghanistan China has ever hosted, but also the first international conference on Afghanistan since the formation of the new Afghan government late last month, he said.

"The Istanbul Process is so far the only regional cooperation mechanism on Afghanistan which is led by countries in the 'Heart of Asia' region," he said. "It follows the principles of regional leadership, regional ownership and consensus."

Liu added that the Istanbul Process plays an increasingly important role in building consensus among countries in the region, promoting regional cooperation on Afghanistan, and advancing peace and reconstruction in the country.

"Compared with other international conferences and processes on Afghanistan, the Istanbul Process places more emphasis on helping Afghanistan with capacity building and training," he said.

According to Liu, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai will attend and address the opening ceremony of the meeting, which attracts foreign ministers or representatives from 14 member countries of the process, 16 other countries, 12 supporting international and regional organizations, and four countries and organizations with chairmanship.

"China also hopes that the conference will help mobilize the entire international community to support Afghanistan," he said.

In November 2011, China, Russia, Afghanistan and Central Asian countries reached an agreement in Turkey known as the Istanbul Process, presenting a new vision for regional cooperation for a secure and stable Afghanistan.

The Istanbul Process holds a meeting every year. The previous three meetings were held respectively in Turkey's Istanbul, Afghanistan's Kabul and Kazakhstan's Almaty.