External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna onTuesday reached Istanbul to participate in the international Conference on Afghanistan beginning tomorrow. It is being attended by twelve countries, including Afghanistan, the US, Pakistan and Iran. Ahead of the conference, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari met along with Turkish President Abdullah Gul for talks that are aimed at reducing trust deficit between Islamabad and Kabul.

Official sources said that Mr. Krishna is expected to highlight India's growing stakes in peace and stability in Afghanistan in his speech in the conference. The External Affairs Minister is expected to share India's perception about key features of the strategic partnership with the warn-torn country and outline some plans for improving connectivity and agricultural productivity in Afghanistan.