Karzai, who will be in the United States to attend the opening of the United Nations General Assembly, also s scheduled to meet with U.S. President George Bush and talk with the two major party presidential nominees, Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., via telephone, The Washington Post (NYSE:WPO) reported Saturday.

The meeting between Palin and Karzai is part of a broader effort to establish foreign policy credentials for the Alaska governor, whose choice as McCain's running mate has been criticized because of her inexperience on the world stage, the newspaper said.

"It's a great opportunity for Governor Palin to meet and interact with some of the world leaders she will deal with as vice president," an unnamed McCain adviser told the Post. "She'll talk about the issues facing the world."