ISLAMABAD, March 28: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri will be leaving for Germany on Tuesday to represent Pakistan at the high profile international conference on Afghanistan being held in Berlin on March 31 and April 1 , Foreign Office sources said on Sunday.

The two-day conference titled: 'Afghanistan and the International Community - a Partnership for the Future' will focus on the political, economic and security aspects of the country.

It will bring together a number of high-ranking figures, including the US Secretary of State Colin Powell, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.

"The conference will be an opportunity for the international community to discuss in depth the next stages of the transition process in Afghanistan as well as what contributions by partners would be appropriate," say the hosts.

The Berlin conference, being held at foreign minister level, is expected to underline the continued commitment of the international community to the process of reconstruction in Afghanistan as it is about to enter a new phase.

Over 60 delegations from all EU, G8 and NATO member countries as well as Afghanistan's neighbours and other countries actively engaged in Afghanistan are expected to attend the Berlin Conference.

The conference is being jointly hosted by German foreign minister Joschka Fischer and Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah. It will be chaired jointly by Afghanistan, the United Nations, Japan and Germany.

VISIT TO CHINA: Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri will embark on a three-day visit to China early next month, sources told Dawn . The visit will take place from April 6 to 9, the sources said.