Will attend Heart of Asia conference in India: Sartaj Aziz

Amid escalating tension between India and Pakistan, the neighbouring country has said that it will take part in the Heart of Asia conference on Afghanistan, which is scheduled to be held in India.

According to a PTI report, Sartaj Aziz has confirmed that Pakistan will participate in the Heart of Asia conference.

The key ministerial meeting of the conference - also called the Istanbul process - is scheduled to take place in Amritsar on 4 December.

It is also not known if there would be any formal interaction between Pakistani and Indian officials.

Pakistan's participation was doubtful due to ongoing tensions and Indian boycott of the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) that was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in November.

Foreign ministers from 14-member countries, including Russia, China, and Turkey, are expected to attend the day-long conference meant to discuss the current Afghan situation and possible initiatives the immediate and extended neighbours of Afghanistan could undertake to restore long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country.

Officials from 17 other nations, including the US, will also attend the meet to be jointly presided over by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process was established in 2011 at the initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey. Its main objective is to foster efforts for regional cooperation and connectivity with a view to promoting long-term peace and stability as well as progress and development in Afghanistan.

--With PTI inputs