KABUL -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai has welcomed U.S. President Barack Obama's new remarks about Washington's commitment to Afghanistan's future.
In a statement on January 29 following Obama's State of the Union address the night before, Karzai welcomed Obama's omission of any mention of deadlines for Afghanistan to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement covering the deployment of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014.
Obama set no deadlines in his speech, but did urge Karzai to sign the agreement.
Washington has warned it could decide to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan if the deal is not signed soon.
In his statement, Karzai said that launching an Afghan peace process involving Taliban insurgents was a precondition for signing the agreement.
In a statement on January 29 following Obama's State of the Union address the night before, Karzai welcomed Obama's omission of any mention of deadlines for Afghanistan to sign a Bilateral Security Agreement covering the deployment of U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014.
Obama set no deadlines in his speech, but did urge Karzai to sign the agreement.
Washington has warned it could decide to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan if the deal is not signed soon.
In his statement, Karzai said that launching an Afghan peace process involving Taliban insurgents was a precondition for signing the agreement.
