Press Releases

Holding of the Meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan and Pakistan

May 13, 2014

1. On May 15 a meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan and Pakistan will be held in Tokyo.

2. This meeting will be held with the attendance of representatives of governments from 50 or more countries and international organizations, with Dr. Michael Koch, Special Representative of the Federal Government of Germany for Afghanistan and Pakistan acting as the Chair. The situation in Afghanistan, including the presidential election, and the country's development is scheduled to be discussed at the meeting.

3. The following VIPs are scheduled to visit Japan from Afghanistan in order to attend the meeting:

  • Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, Minister of Finance
  • Mr. Ershad Ahmadi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs
  • Dr. Sima Samar, Chairperson of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Committee

(Reference) Meetings of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan and Pakistan

  • Since April 2009 ICG Meetings consisting mainly of Special Representatives for Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAPs) have been held regularly (they are currently held around three times a year), as occasions for political cooperation by the international community toward peace and stability in Afghanistan and the region. Germany's SRAP Dr. Koch acts as the Chair for ICG Meetings. Japan's current SRAP is Tsukasa Uemura, Director-General of the Middle Eastern and African Affairs Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who holds the posts concurrently.
  • This ICG Meeting will be the 21st. This is the second time it will be held in Tokyo, following the 2nd ICG Meeting in April 2009.

(* The foregoing is a provisional translation. The date indicated above denotes the date of issue of the original press release in Japanese.)
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