US Not to Attend Afghan Peace Moot in Moscow

The US will not attend a peace conference on Afghanistan organised by Russia on April 14 in Moscow, according to a statement by Russian Foreign Ministry. Afghan and Russian officials said that the conference will be attended by countries like India, Pakistan and Iran in addition to Afghanistan. Meanwhile Russian Foreign Ministry said that the new US administration does not have a specific policy for Afghanistan. Earlier a US State Department official told The Associated Press that the decision not to attend the conference was made because Moscow did not consult Washington before extending the invitation and that the Kremlin did not disclose its objectives for the conference. Earlier Russia held a six-party meeting on peace in Afghanistan that was attended by officials from India, China, Iran and Pakistan.