Afghan Diplomat Training Begins Third Year in United States --- A group of 15 young Afghan diplomats kicked off their training visit to the United States at a welcome reception hosted at the State Department this morning by Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Daniel F. Feldman. The Special Representative was joined at the reception by Chinese Embassy Minister Wu Xi and Afghan Charge d’Affaires Mirwais Samadi. -- This is the third year the United States and China have partnered to train the Afghan diplomatic corps on diplomatic, communications, and management skills. This year’s group includes fifteen early-career Afghan diplomats, who were selected jointly by representatives from the U.S. and Chinese Embassies in Kabul. In May, the participants participated in a two-week training program in Beijing sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. While in Washington, the group will learn more about U.S. policies regarding both Afghanistan and China, as well as the process of formulating and implementing foreign policy in the United States. -- During their two-week stay, the group will visit the Chinese and Afghan Embassies, tour Washington, D.C., meet with diplomats and scholars from various think tanks, practice diplomatic simulations at the University of Maryland, and visit the United Nations and Afghan consulate in New York City. -- Read More, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/10/233172.htm