DUSHANBE, June 25, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi today morning departed for Italy to attend a ministerial level meeting of the Group of Eight (G-8) industrialized countries on Afghanistan that will be held in Trieste from June 26-27, according to the Tajik MFA information department.

The conference consists of a plenary meeting and three working sessions.  The two-day conference aims to promote peace and stability in Afghanistan with the help of its neighbors, including Tajikistan.  Border security, combating drug trafficking and promoting rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s economy are among major topics of the conference.

During his stay in Italy, Zarifi is also expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings, in particular with foreign ministers of Australia (Steven Smith) and Canada (Lawrence Kennon).