Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday announced a cabinet reshuffle and the list of the new cabinet members has been sent to parliament for approval, said a statement from the president's office.

"The list contains 21 names for the 21 ministries with majority of them are incumbent ministers," a reliable source in Presidency told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The disclosure was made after President Karzai left for Turkey Wednesday to attend an international conference on fighting terrorism.

In the list of new would-be ministers, Foreign Minister has been replaced by Advisor to President on international affairs Rangeen Dadfar Spanta.

No portfolio has been set for Abdullah Abdullah in the new cabinet.

Abdullah Abdullah, a key political leader in the defunct Northern Alliance which helped the US military to oust Taliban regime in late 2001, has been an important figure of Karzai's administration over the past four years.

The incumbent US-educated Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardakhas maintained his post in the new cabinet while acting Interior Minister Zara Ahmad Muqbal has been taped as Interior Minister.

The Ministry for Youth Affairs and the Ministry for Disabled and Matyrs merged with the Information and Culture Ministry and Labor and Manpower Ministry respectively in the new cabinet.

There are 28 ministries in the sitting cabinet while in the new one, the source added, it would shrink to 26.

Afghanistan's first ever parliament was inaugurated in September 2005 and the president under the constitution was bound to present the names of the new cabinet members within a month since the inauguration of parliament.

Under the procedure drafted by parliamentarians last month, each nominee for any ministry should get vote of confidence from the national assembly individually.

(Xinhua News Agency March 23, 2006)