Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday that China will hold the Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan in August.

"We will send invitations to the Istanbul Process' 14 member states and 28 supporting parties," Wang told a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the top legislature.

"We hope that through the process we can help the parties build consensus, work together to support efforts to complete the triple transitions, and encourage the situation in Afghanistan to move toward lasting peace," he added.

The first one to be held in China, the Fourth Foreign Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process on Afghanistan was slated for August in China's Tianjin.

Wang paid an official visit to Afghanistan in late February. He met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, his Afghan counterpart Zarar Ahmad Osmani, and Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Karzai's national security advisor.

Wang said this year will be a crucial one for Afghanistan. The country will go through political, security and economic transitions all at the same time.

Of course it's mainly up to Afghan people to realize the triple transitions, but they cannot do without the help and support of international community, Wang added.

China is Afghanistan's biggest neighbor. Afghanistan's peace and stability has a direct bearing on security in China's western region. We hope to see a united, stable, growing and amicable Afghanistan, according to Wang.

"For that purpose we will work with international community to actively facilitate political reconciliation in Afghanistan, support its peace and reconstruction efforts, and encourage Afghanistan to be more deeply involved in regional cooperation," Wang said.

"We will also work with Afghanistan and other neighbors to resolutely fight against all terrorist forces," Wang said.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2014)