ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The UN-sponsored meeting of the ethnic Afghan groups for the formation of a broad-based multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan is scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany, on Nov 26, sources in the UN told Dawn here on Tuesday.

According to the sources, the breakthrough was achieved during UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan, Francesc Vendrell’s visit to Afghanistan.

Mr Vendrell held a series of meetings with a number of Northern Alliance leaders including foreign minister Dr Abdullah Abdullah, defence minister Mohammad Quassim Fahim and President of Northern Alliance Burhanuddin Rabbani. Earlier, speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, spokesperson for UN Coordinator Office for Afghanistan Stephanie Bunker said that Mr Vendrell would submit report about progress in this respect to UN authorities in New York sometime on Tuesday night.

The UNOCHA spokesperson said Mr Vendrell also met chief of the South Asia desk of British Foreign Office, Stefan Evans, in Afghanistan.

ALLIANCE AGREED: The anti-Taliban Northern Alliance agreed to attend United Nations talks on the future of Afghanistan scheduled for Germany from next Monday, UN special envoy Francesc Vendrell said in Kabul on Tuesday, adds Reuters.

“Yesterday evening the authorities of the Northern Alliance have accepted the invitation of the (UN) secretary-general to attend the meeting in Germany that we hope to open next Monday,” he told a news conference.

Earlier, Berlin said it was counting on hosting talks on the future of the country ravaged by war since 1979. The United Nations, eager to rebuild Afghanistan, plans the talks as the first of a five-step process.

Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said: “We have already told Mr Vendrell about our decision to attend the meeting in Germany.