US Senator Terms Afghan-US Strategic Partnership Agreement Major Success

Publish Date: Apr 28, 2012

April 28, 2012- Chairman of US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator John Kerry called on President Hamid Karzai on Saturday and termed the draft Afghan-US strategic partnership agreement a major success for both countries.

During the meeting held Saturday afternoon in the Presidential Palace, the two sides discussed various issues of mutual interest including the current situation in Afghanistan and the region, peace process and Pakistan’s role in peace talks.

Also among the subjects discussed was the need for a stronger civil service, for which President Karzai asked for US cooperation in building civil service infrastructures so that Afghanistan can have a professional and strong civil service administration, considered an important step in relieving the country of foreign dependence.

The two sides underscored the need for continued equipping and financing of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) with an emphasis that there was no plan now to reduce ANSF size, clarifying that any decision on reduction would depend on the security condition on the ground beyond 2015.