A high-level Afghan delegation headed by Foreign Minister Zalmay Rassoul will attend the meeting. The participation of the newly appointed US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Marc Grossman, who replaced the late Richard Holbrooke, is also expected, an OIC statement said.

“More OIC member states are expected to take part in the meeting, which indicates the active involvement by the OIC and its member states to resolve the Afghan issue,” it said. Invitations have been extended to the Saudi and Pakistani foreign ministers and those of other OIC member countries, it added.

OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has repeatedly underlined the OIC’s commitment to peace, stability and socio-economic recovery in Afghanistan and its role in the country’s reconciliation and reintegration process.

“The position of the OIC has been that the military option is not a real solution in Afghanistan. Instead it has been seeking a comprehensive approach, addressing the various cultural, economic and social aspects,” the statement said. The OIC has also emphasized the importance of a regional approach. The OIC reiterated its readiness to continue helping Afghanistan through social and economic development.

It has been implementing since 2003 through its Assistance Fund for Afghan People a string of projects ranging from education, general health care, vocational training, gender awareness, agriculture, environment, and income generating schemes.

At the last OIC Council of Foreign Ministers conference in May 2010, the ministers approved a railway project linking Dushanbe-Mazari Sharif-Herat, which will contribute to the socio-economic development of Afghanistan by opening it up to trade and accessibility.

The 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference has appointed a special representative to Afghanistan who took part in the last ICG meetings in Rome. It has also opened an office in Kabul, which can help the organization be more engaged in Afghanistan and follow developments in the country more closely. “The OIC is an important and potent stakeholder in Afghanistan, a founding member of the OIC,” the statement said.

OIC has been working on co-organizing a conference of Islamic scholars and religious leaders in Kabul to address the issue of radical interpretations of Islamic teachings. The move aims at promoting a peaceful coexistence between the adherents of different schools of thought, the statement said.