Kabul hosts 2nd round of strategic partnership talks with US

KABUL and the US have produced a single draft of the long-term strategic partnership agreement between the two countries.

The agreement addresses the military, political, social and economic relationship between the US and Afghanistan beyond the year 2014, the deadline for the withdrawal of all foreign combat troops from Afghanistan.

According to a statement issued Monday by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegations met for two days on July 9 and 10. They worked together on a draft strategic partnership document provided by the United States in response to a previously proposed text by the Afghan side.

While the foreign affairs ministry did not disclose the contents of the draft agreement in detail, it said the talks resulted in a single draft and more clarity between the two sides on many points.

The National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Afghan delegation in this round of talks. Other members of the Afghan delegation included senior representatives from the Ministries of Defense, Interior, Finance, Justice, the National Directorate of Security and the Independent Directorate of Local Governance. The Deputy Special Representative of the United States for Afghanistan and Pakistan led the American delegation, which also included senior representatives from the US National Security Council, Department of State, Department of Defense and other US government departments.

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