KABUL): British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond on Wednesday renewed his country’s commitment to training and equipping Afghan security forces beyond 2014.
He held out the assurance at a meeting with President Hamid Karzai, currently on a five-day state a visit to London, said a statement from the Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Even after international troops’ withdrawal, the United Kingdom would continue assisting Afghanistan framework, the secretary said.
Peace in Afghanistan was essential for stability in the region, with neighbours yearning for prosperity in the war-torn country, he observed.
Hammond believed Afghan security forces’ capability had remarkably improved and they were able to defend their country.
Regarding the British-funded military training academy in Kabul, Hammond hoped the institution would open before in the next few weeks.
An agreement to construct the academy was signed between Prime Minister David Cameron and President Karzai last year.
The statement said during the meeting both sides conferred on the bilateral security agreement (BSA) between the US and Afghanistan.
Karzai said Kabul and Washington had agreed on some clauses of the long-delayed deal, but a final decision on signing it would be taken by the Afghan nation.
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