Tokyo: Foreign ministers from the Group of Eight major countries will discuss how to ensure peace and stability on the volatile Afghanistan-Pakistan border when they gather in Canada on March 29-30, Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon has said.
During the two-day talks in the resort city of Gatineau, Quebec, the G8 foreign ministers will also take up the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament as one of the three key agenda items at a time when North Korea is still pursuing its nuclear programme and Iran is coming close to being able to build a nuclear weapon.
Canada, which will host the upcoming meeting, also hopes to discuss the consequences of terrorism and how to support nations with security vulnerabilities, Cannon said in a statement yesterday.
The ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States are also expected to address the issue of peace and stability on the Afghan-
Pakistan border and ways for the G8 countries to assist the two nations, Kyodo news agency reported.
The volatile border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan is considered critical for the ongoing US-led offensive against the Taliban, al Qaeda, and other extremist groups in Afghanistan and for the larger war against extremism.
The discussions at the ministerial talks will lay the groundwork for the G8 summit meeting to be held in Muskoka, Ontario, on June 25-26, the report said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 16:30