Islamabad, Mar 29 (IANS): Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will on Monday leave for Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where he will attend the 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process ministerial conference, the Foreign Ministry here confirmed in a statement.

At the ministerial conference on Tuesday, Qureshi will deliver an address highlighting Pakistan's positive contributions to the Afghan peace process and its support for Afghanistan's development and connectivity within the regional framework, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement issued on Sunday as saying

On the sidelines of the conference, the Foreign Minister will hold consultations with key regional and international partners.

During his visit to Tajikistan from Monday to Wednesday, Qureshi will have bilateral engagement with the Tajik leadership, the statement added.

The Heart of Asia process provides a platform for regional cooperation with Afghanistan at its centre and with the recognition by the participants that a secure and stable Afghanistan is vital to the prosperity of the region.

The process involves 15 participating countries, 17 supporting countries and 12 regional and international organisations.