NEW DELHI, Feb 1: Indian Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh said on Tuesday that he would meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on his way to Islamabad for talks with Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on Feb 15.

He is also expected to meet President Gen Pervez Musharraf. According to sources, one of the issues expected to come up pertains to transit rights for Indian goods to Afghanistan via Pakistan.

Washington has conveyed to India that it would use its good offices to facilitate such movement. Mr Singh will hold talks with President Karzai and other leaders and has convened a meeting of India's consuls-general in four Afghan cities in Kabul to assess the post-election scenario.

Describing President Karzai as a "special friend", Mr Singh was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying that he would get an overview from Afghan leaders on what was happening in the region.

Terming the recent Afghan election a "major event", he said it was remarkable that women voted in large numbers. Mr Singh will meet his Afghan counterpart Abdullah Abdullah and exchange views on bilateral ties, important developments in the region and international issues of mutual interest.

The two sides will review the progress on the Zeranj-Delaram road link. Mr Singh told Dawn at the weekend that he would pay a three-day visit to Pakistan from Feb 15, the first bilateral one by an Indian foreign minister in 17 years.