Tweet
The strategic cooperation pact with the United States was in Afghanistan’s interest and a bilateral security agreement would be signed next year if the country’s core concerns were addressed, President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday.
Underpinning a future US military presence in the country after most western combat soldiers withdraw in 2014, the long-awaited accord was inked between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his American counterpart Barack Obama on Tuesday.
Addressing a news conference in Kabul, Karzai said Afghanistan and the US would negotiate the bilateral security deal that would supersede the current Status of Force Agreement and focus on military cooperation till 2024.
“It is going to be a more difficult discussion. While seeking to safeguard their respective interests, the two sides will debate threadbare the proposed agreement,” he remarked. If its concerns were ignored, Afghanistan would not sign it, he explained.
“I hope the US, realising the sensitivities of the Afghan people, will respect their wishes and avoid insisting on its own view alone,” the president said, without going into detail.
Respect for the Afghan constitution was one of his administration’s key terms for wrapping up the strategic deal, he said, adding: “The presidential system is another condition of the Afghan government…”
Referring to a recent push by some American Congressmen for a federal system in Afghanistan, the president said: “I have told the US to accept and respect our present form of government. It has been mentioned in the agreement.”
The Obama administration, promising financial support to Afghanistan until 2024, had pledged not to let economic gains of the past 10 years go down the drain, he said. The US would also help Afghan security forces to acquire the capability of defending the country independently.
Although a specific amount of money that the US would give to his government was yet to be known, Washington had indicated it would ensure the payment of $2.1 billion to Kabul annually to meet the needs of Afghan forces, the president continued.
Karzai expected additional aid of $2 billion would be pledged by NATO members at the Chicago summit due in late May. He claimed the US had vowed to meet any shortfall if NATO states failed to provide the required amount.
In the eventuality of an attack on Afghanistan by a neighbour, US and NATO-led troops would come to the rescue of the war-torn country, the president maintained.
He went on to reassure neighbours that signing strategic partnership did not pose any threat to them. "There is no threat from Afghanistan soil to our neighbours,” he remarked, hoping the pact would be approved by the lawmakers from both nations.
Afghanistan wanted to further boost relations with Pakistan and Iran, he explained, asking US-led coalition forces to pursue terrorists in their sanctuaries outside Afghanistan’s borders.
To legalise the international community’s presence in the country, ensure respect for the Afghan constitution and sovereinghty, his government had held detailed negotiations with the international community, he said.
With regard to national reconciliation, the president renewed his call for the Taliban to join the peace process and avoid making the foreign presence an excuse for fighting. “My Taliban brothers, Afghanistan is formly on the road to stability, let’s make it even stronger and forge better ties with the global fraternity.”
Underpinning a future US military presence in the country after most western combat soldiers withdraw in 2014, the long-awaited accord was inked between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his American counterpart Barack Obama on Tuesday.
Addressing a news conference in Kabul, Karzai said Afghanistan and the US would negotiate the bilateral security deal that would supersede the current Status of Force Agreement and focus on military cooperation till 2024.
“It is going to be a more difficult discussion. While seeking to safeguard their respective interests, the two sides will debate threadbare the proposed agreement,” he remarked. If its concerns were ignored, Afghanistan would not sign it, he explained.
“I hope the US, realising the sensitivities of the Afghan people, will respect their wishes and avoid insisting on its own view alone,” the president said, without going into detail.
Respect for the Afghan constitution was one of his administration’s key terms for wrapping up the strategic deal, he said, adding: “The presidential system is another condition of the Afghan government…”
Referring to a recent push by some American Congressmen for a federal system in Afghanistan, the president said: “I have told the US to accept and respect our present form of government. It has been mentioned in the agreement.”
The Obama administration, promising financial support to Afghanistan until 2024, had pledged not to let economic gains of the past 10 years go down the drain, he said. The US would also help Afghan security forces to acquire the capability of defending the country independently.
Although a specific amount of money that the US would give to his government was yet to be known, Washington had indicated it would ensure the payment of $2.1 billion to Kabul annually to meet the needs of Afghan forces, the president continued.
Karzai expected additional aid of $2 billion would be pledged by NATO members at the Chicago summit due in late May. He claimed the US had vowed to meet any shortfall if NATO states failed to provide the required amount.
In the eventuality of an attack on Afghanistan by a neighbour, US and NATO-led troops would come to the rescue of the war-torn country, the president maintained.
He went on to reassure neighbours that signing strategic partnership did not pose any threat to them. "There is no threat from Afghanistan soil to our neighbours,” he remarked, hoping the pact would be approved by the lawmakers from both nations.
Afghanistan wanted to further boost relations with Pakistan and Iran, he explained, asking US-led coalition forces to pursue terrorists in their sanctuaries outside Afghanistan’s borders.
To legalise the international community’s presence in the country, ensure respect for the Afghan constitution and sovereinghty, his government had held detailed negotiations with the international community, he said.
With regard to national reconciliation, the president renewed his call for the Taliban to join the peace process and avoid making the foreign presence an excuse for fighting. “My Taliban brothers, Afghanistan is formly on the road to stability, let’s make it even stronger and forge better ties with the global fraternity.”
Comment