The Hague - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
and Afghan President Hamid Karzai were on Monday due to arrive in the
Netherlands ahead of an international conference Tuesday to discuss
the future of war-torn Afghanistan.
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende was due to welcome the
two at a special reception in The Hague. He was also scheduled to
hold talks with US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton before
delivering his opening speech at the conference on Tuesday.
The conference, which was being co-hosted by the UN, Afghanistan
and the Netherlands is expected to see the participation of more than
70 countries.
Dutch organizers said around 2,000 people would attend, including
representatives of government and international aid organizations and
hundreds of journalists.
Dutch authorities had by Monday sealed off the conference venue -
the World Forum Convention Centre - and its surrounding area to
traffic.
Security on the Belgium-Dutch and German-Dutch border and at
Schiphol Airport was also increased, a police spokesman told
reporters.
Substantial portions of the highways between Schiphol and
Rotterdam Airport were also sealed to traffic to allow the
international delegations to get to The Hague.
On Tuesday morning, the skies over the venue would become a no-fly
zone. Around 3,000 police officers are to be deployed at the
conference.
Police said five organizations, including a group representing
Afghan refugees, were granted permission to hold rallies in the city
centre on Tuesday.
Smaller protests would convene just outside the special security
zone near the conference site.
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