OSCE parliamentarians to talk Afghanistan in Vienna
VIENNA. February 18. KAZINFORM The Afghanistan issue will be in the focus of discussions at the ninth winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, which will open on Thursday in the Austrian capital, Vienna, an source in the organization has said; Kazinform refers to RIA Novosti.
The Afghanistan talks will take place in the second day of the session.
Kanat Saudabaev, the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, which currently holds the organization's rotating chair, will deliver a speech during the meeting.
Addressing a special session of the OSCE Permanent Council in January, Saudabaev said his country intended to "pay special attention to Afghanistan."
Violence surged in the war-ravaged Central Asian state in 2009, with the Taliban staging regular attacks on provincial government officials, police and civilians and planting roadside devices as part of its fight to regain control of the country. The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, before being toppled by U.S.-led forces.
In early December 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama announced plans to send an additional 30,000 troops to Afghanistan in the first part of 2010. However, with mounting deaths among troops, the Western allies hope to start a gradual withdrawal as early as in 2011, transferring security tasks to the Afghan army and police; Kazinform cites RIA Novosti.