25 February 2004	Wednesday	04 Muharram 1425

KABUL, Feb 24: A United States delegation which includes the wife of US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul early Tuesday for meetings on women's issues, a spokeswoman for the US embassy here said.

"She (Joyce Rumsfeld) arrived with the rest of the delegation," the spokeswoman told AFP. The delegation is being led by US Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky and is due to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday afternoon.

During the three-day visit the delegation will meet local officials regarding the status of women in Afghanistan as well as visit schools and other facilities for women.

This is the second meeting of the US Afghan Women's Council in Afghanistan. The meetings are held twice a year, one in Kabul and one in Washington. It was established in January 2002 to promote partnerships between the United States and Afghanistan that will help Afghan women gain the education and skills they need to take their place in society. -AFP