External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has attended the Heart of Asia Conference in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.

The 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) ministerial conference is part of the Istanbul Process – a regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan – that was launched on November 2, 2011, in Turkey.

Note the participating countries from the logo itself.

Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process

• The Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) is an initiative of Afghanistan and Turkey, which was officially launched at a conference hosted by Turkey in Istanbul on 2 November 2011.
• Since then, Afghanistan supported by fourteen participating countries and supporting countries beyond the region as well as 12 Regional and International Organizations is leading and coordinating this Process.

Goals of the Process

• The HoA-IP aims at promoting and strengthening peace, security, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan and in the region.
• The HoA-IP has become one of the most interactive voluntary state-groupings in the HoA Region.
• It brings Afghanistan’s immediate and extended neighbours as well as international supporters together through the following focus areas:

1. Political Consultations
2. Implementation of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs)
3. Cooperation with Regional Organizations

Note: India too, has held the Ministerial Conferences of HoA-IP back on 4 December 2016 at Amritsar.

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