Schröder Goes Ahead with Afghanistan Visit

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder will definitely stop in Afghanistan's capital Kabul during a trip to Asia next week, a government spokesman said on Friday. News reports on Thursday had stated that Schröder was thinking about cancelling the visit because of security concerns. Schröder is expected to arrive in Kabul on Oct. 11, two days after the presidential elections there. He is planning to meet with President Hamid Karzai, German soldiers stationed in Afghanistan as well as representatives of German aid organizations. Karzai is expected to visit Berlin on Sunday. On his trip to Asia, Schröder will also visit India, Pakistan and Vietnam.