Karzai Arrives In Brussels For Talks

Afghan President Hamid Karzai

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has arrived in Brussels, where he will meet U.S. Secretary of State of State John Kerry and senior Pakistani officials on April 24 to discuss the faltering Afghan peace process.

NATO's Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen Tuesday welcomed Karzai at NATO's headquarters in Brussels.

Rasmussen promised that the alliance would stand by Afghanistan after 2014, when the bulk of international combat troops pullout.

The meeting on April 24 comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan over border disputes and failing reconciliation efforts.

Earlier this week, Kabul said Islamabad had failed to deliver on its promises regarding the peace process.

Kerry said on April 22 that 2013 was a "critical" transition year for Afghanistan and the upcoming talks would be about "how we can advance this process in the simplest, most cooperative, most cogent way."

Based on reporting by AFP and AP