Kerry vows close cooperation with next govt

WASHINGTON (PAN): The United States is looking forward to close cooperation with the next government to further deepen the bilateral friendship, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday.       

Sending his best wishes to the people and government of Afghanistan in support of elections underscored the importance of the partnership and significance of the transition. 

“With millions of Afghans across your great nation braving violence and intimidation to cast their ballots, it is critical that all parties honor those voters’ aspirations for a democratic, peaceful transfer of power that unifies the country,” Kerry said. 

“We will continue to strongly support the democratic process and the agreement reached between the two candidates concerning the formation of a national unity government. The Afghan people deserve nothing less,” he promised.

With a timely resolution of the election and the signing of a Bilateral Security Agreement, Kerry said he was confident that the next year would open an important new era in US-Afghan relations. 

“As Afghans stand up, we will stand with you, and the American people look forward to many more years of friendship and partnership with the inspiring people of Afghanistan,” he added.

The US planned to continue its strong support for the ANSF mission, he said. 

The Afghan people should be proud of their security forces who had ably taken full responsibility for securing the country, including during two rounds of voting, the secretary maintained.

“I look forward to close cooperation with Afghanistan’s next government to further broaden and deepen our bilateral friendship as we work together on these challenges,” Kerry said.

“I’m reminded of the women entrepreneurs I met in Kabul overcoming gender discrimination in the marketplace. I’m reminded of the democracy activist in Kandahar who vowed to monitor elections in the name of transparency,” he said.

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