WASHINGTON - A senior US official has said US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Turkey on Nov. 2 to attend a meeting with Afghanistan's neighbors to discuss ways forward for the war-torn nation.
US special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan Marc Grossman, who is on a visit to Turkey, told the Turkish NTV broadcaster on Tuesday that Clinton positively responded to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoðlu's invitation and will be visiting Turkey on Nov. 2.

The latest similar gathering was in Oslo last Friday, where Afghan officials met with diplomats from Pakistan, Iran, India and other key powers involved in the region.

The one-day Oslo meeting, facilitated by Norway and Turkey, included diplomats from the US and other permanent members of the UN Security Council, with 14 regional countries also attending. The parties will meet again in the Afghan capital, Kabul, next week.

An Afghan official said the aim of the Oslo and Kabul meetings was to agree on regional cooperation, including how to tackle terrorism, extremism and narcotics in the region, before the Nov. 2 conference in Ýstanbul, where regional security and the transition in Afghanistan will be discussed. (Agencies)