Karzai, Manmohan to meet on Nov 17

The president is presently in India to inaugurate the Second Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan.

Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who is currently in India on a four-day visit to inaugurate the Second Regional Economic Cooperation Conference (RECC) on Afghanistan on November 18, will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday and discuss bilateral and regional matters.

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Karzai, who arrived in India on Wednesday and went to Shimla on a private visit, is accompanied by seven Cabinet Ministers and Ministerial-level advisers, in addition to members of Afghan National Assembly, officials and a high-level business delegation.

He will also call on President APJ Abdul Kalam and meet other dignitaries.

During the visit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Karzai will jointly inaugurate the Second RECC on Afghanistan on November 18.

Later, President Karzai will address the concluding session of the Regional Business Conference on Afghanistan, which is jointly being hosted by FICCI, CII, ASSOCHAM and Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) on November 18.

President Karzai will be the chief guest at the Inaugural ceremony of the Inter-disciplinary Conference on the theme, 'Scientific Upgrading of the Ecological and Livelihood Security Systems of Arid and Semi-Arid Areas', being organised by National Academy of Agricultural Sciences on November 19.

President Karzai had earlier visited India in February 2002 as Chairman of Interim Administration, in March 2003 as President of Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan and in February 2005 and April 2006 as President of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.