In his first visit to the region after being appointed as US Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke would also touch India next week to "listen," among other things, to New Delhi's point of view and its perspective on Kabul.
The issues to be discussed with Indian leaders during, Holbrooke's trip, which is to cover India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, would remain confined to resolving the Afghan-Pak issue, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said.
Kashmir is not on the agenda and would not be discussed, he told reporters on Wednesday.
The exact dates and schedule of Holbrook's trip to South Asia has not been announced because of security considerations.
Holbrooke, the spokesperson said, had already left Washington for London – from where he would travel to Munich to participate in a security conference. From there he will head to Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, in that order.
Describing the nature of Holbrooke's trip to South Asia, Wood said: "In essence this is an orientation trip. He's not carrying any messages to any of these governments from either the Secretary (of State) or the (US) President. He's not going there to lecture. He's going there to listen."
Holbrooke wants to hear from the Indian government in terms of how it can better contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Holbrooke wants to hear from the Indian government in terms of how it can better contribute to peace and stability in Afghanistan, he said.
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