Washington: Special US Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke is travelling to Europe to consult with leaders in Germany, France and Russia, before travelling to Kabul to attend the inauguration of Hamid Karzai for his second term as the Afghan President.
However, New Delhi does not fall in his current itinerary. Holbrooke had earlier announced that he would be travelling to India, along with Afghanistan.
There was no official reason for the top US diplomat not travelling to New Delhi – a visit which has been pending since July.
"He (Holbrooke) is currently travelling to Berlin. He will be in Paris tomorrow, in Munich on November 14, and then next week he will be in Moscow," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters at his daily news briefing.
"These are for consultations with government officials and his special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan counterparts," Kelly said.
"These routine meetings are part of continued efforts to stay in close touch with allies and partners on Afghanistan and Pakistan. He will then travel to Afghanistan for the inauguration of President Hamid Karzai," Kelly said.
Bureau Report
