WASHINGTON: The US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan was headed Friday on a multi-nation tour through Asia and the Gulf ahead of two major conferences on Afghanistan's future, officials said.
Marc Grossman was on his way to Abu Dhabi, Turkey, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, China, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, India and Doha, as well as Kabul and Islamabad for consultations, the State Department said in a statement.
The trip comes ahead of a November conference in Istanbul and a December meeting in Bonn "to build support for the vision of a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan in a stable, secure and prosperous region," it said.
In Doha, Grossman will address regional US ambassadors.
His trip is scheduled to last until October 14.
After the 10th anniversary of the start of the US-led operation to overthrow the Taliban in October, diplomatic focus will turn to the two international conferences on Afghanistan's future.
"A clear and unequivocal message of long-term support to our Afghan friends is our bottom line" for a conference to be held in Bonn on December 5, Germany's UN ambassador Peter Wittig said Thursday.
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I think the ecological damage ( due to non stop flying ) is more than the political benefit that may accrue.