KABUL - Change and Hope party on Thursday welcomed the second Bonn Conference on Afghanistan's future, saying opposition's views should have been included in the government's agenda.
Led by the Afghan government, the conference, slated for Dec. 5 in Germany, will confer on the country's future, regional cooperation, security transition, signing long-term agreements and the peace process.
Among other issues, the conference will review the progress made in Afghanistan over the past decade and deliberate on ways and means of improving the overall security environment.
In an exclusive interview with Pajhwok Afghan News, Change and Hope party leader Dr. Abdullah Abdullah said the conference on long-term international assistance was a crucial step toward Afghanistan's stability and development.

He said his party appreciated efforts made by the international community, in particular Germany, for supporting the meeting. But the Afghan government must have made improved preparations for it, he stressed.

Convening the conference was discussed over the past year and the government could consult all political parties on firming up the agenda, the former foreign minister believed.

Abdullah said he did not want to be pessimistic about the outcome of the meeting, but the steps taken by the government were not enough."The global fraternity will widely attend the conference, a golden opportunity for Afghans to project their needs. But I am concerned about the inadequate homework."

The visions of civil society organizations, opposition and other parties should be included in the government agenda so that it could better reflect the needs of Afghans, the ex-minister said. The participants of the meeting were selected by the government, but his party has not been invited.

"Our participation in the conference is not an issue of great importance, but our views and suggestions should have been taken into account," he remarked, saying an accurate census be conducted before next presidential election.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan National Front (ANF), led by former vice president Ahmad Zia Masood, requested Germany and the international community to invite representatives of the party.