Kabul: Afghanistan and the U.S. agreed on a much-delayed strategic partnership deal Sunday that is meant to govern the U.S. role in Afghanistan as international forces draw down and for decades after, the two governments said.
In a statement issued by President Hamid Karzai’s office Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta said that the draft agreement on Afghanistan and US long-term partnership was finalised and initialed on Sunday in Kabul by the heads of the two negotiating delegations in Kabul.
“The document finalized today provides a strong foundation for the security of Afghanistan, the region and the world and is a document for the development of the region,” he added.
No details were released of the content of the draft agreement, which will now be reviewed by the US and Afghan presidents, the US Congress and the Afghan parliament.
Spanta and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker initialed the document, according to the statement and to U.S. Embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall. It now awaits a review process in both countries and the signatures of Karzai and President Barack Obama.
“The agreement is now ready for signature by both the Presidents.”
Afghan and U.S. officials have long said that they hoped to sign the deal before a NATO summit in Chicago next month. But as talked dragged on and Karzai continued to announce new demands for the document, many had started to worry that they would miss their goal.
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