Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Aslov has been invited to participate in the 7th Heart of Asia Ministerial Meeting in Amritsar, Punjab, India.

According to the Tajik MFA information department, Aslov yesterday received India’s Ambassador to Tajikistan Somnath Gosh and Afghan Ambassador to Tajikistan Abdul Ghafour Arzu.

The ambassadors reportedly handed over to the Tajik minister the invitation to attend the 7th Heart of Asia Ministerial Meeting that will take place in Amritsar on December 4 this year.

In the course of the talks, the sides exchanged views on the conference’s agenda, ways to expand regional cooperation to provide peace, stability and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.

They also discussed a number of regional and international issues being of mutual interest.  

Foreign ministers from 14-member countries, including Russia, China and Turkey, are expected to attend the day-long conference meant to discuss the current Afghan situation and possible initiatives the immediate and extended neighbors of Afghanistan could undertake to restore long-term peace and stability in the war-torn country, Daily Pakistan reported.

Senior officials from 17 supporting countries, including the United States, will also participate in the meeting to be jointly presided over by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Indian Express.

Heart of Asia – the Istanbul Process that began in 2011, have 14 members including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and UAE.

The United States and over 20 other nations and organizations serve as “supporting nations” to the process.

The process seeks peace and development in Afghanistan and regional cooperation.  Apart from combating terrorism and extremism, the forum seeks to promote economic development in the region.  It also aims at promoting cooperation in the region in curbing drugs trade and other organized crimes in the region.