Holding of the meeting of the Afghanistan Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) and the visit to Japan of the delegation headed by Dr. Dadfar Spanta, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

February 1, 2008

Japan will host a meeting of the Afghanistan Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) from Tuesday February 5 to Wednesday 6 February. The conference will be attended by Foreign Minister Spanta and other ministerial-level officials of the Government of Afghanistan including the Finance Minister, as well as officials at political director-level from 24 countries and international organizations engaged in the assistance of Afghanistan. Afghanistan and the United Nations will co-chair the meeting. From Japan Mr. Masahiko Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs will attend the meeting.
The JCMB was founded in January 2006 to oversee and coordinate the effective implementation of the Afghanistan Compact, the assistance framework for the nation-building of Afghanistan, agreed by the Government of Afghanistan and the international community.
　As holders of the G8 presidency of this year, Japan is hosting the meeting to re-confirm the commitment of the international community to assist Afghanistan, following the Berlin meeting in January last year. It has been two years since the launch of the Compact and it is expected that these session will ensure better understanding in Japan and in the entire international community of the key issues of importance in Afghanistan.
Dr. Dadfar Spanta, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, and many other ministerial-level officials of the Government of Afghanistan will visit Japan at the invitation of the Government of Japan from Sunday February 3 to Wednesday 6 February to participate in this meeting. During the stay, they will pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, and will meet with Foreign Minister Koumura.

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