KABUL (Kyodo) Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Sunday, becoming the first Cabinet member in the new administration to visit the war-torn country, the Foreign Ministry said.
For security reasons, the ministry did not announce the visit until Okada arrived in Kabul. He entered Afghanistan via Dubai after visiting Beijing to attend the trilateral summit for the leaders of Japan, China and South Korea.
The highlight of Okada's six-hour visit to Kabul was his talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who called on Japan to take a role in promoting the peace process in the war-ravaged country, a ministry official said.