Bulgaria received an invitation by the Japanese Cabinet to participate in a conference on the reconstruction of Afghanistan, Foreign Ministry representatives announced. The conference is scheduled for January 21-22 in Tokyo. Most probably, Bulgaria will seek participation in humanitarian projects to be funded both on bilateral basis and through a donor-supported fund to be managed by the World Bank. Major donor countries are expected to announce an aid package for rebuilding Afghanistan at the Tokyo conference. According to estimates of the World Bank and the United Nations the project's cost is set at USD 9 BLN. Bulgaria joined the United Nations Security Council as non-permanent member for a two-year term on January 1.