Japan to host Afghanistan peace summit

TOKYO, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A multinational conference scheduled in Japan will ask warring parties in Afghanistan to replace combat troops with a peace-keeping force, officials said.

Representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, the United States and the European Union are expected to attend the November conference, Japanese leaders told the Kyodo news agency.

Members of Japan's ruling Democratic Party will urge the Taliban and countries including the United States to withdraw their forces in favor of a non-combat international cease-fire mission comprising personnel from Japan and other countries, Kyodo reported.

The logistics of security, economic support and humanitarian aid needed to stabilize Afghanistan will be key topics of discussion at the meeting, likely to be led by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Kyodo reported.

The plan could lay the groundwork for an end to Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force refueling mission for NATO forces in the Indian Ocean, Kyodo reported.