US defense secretary meets Afghan president

Dec 14, 2011, 18:31 GMT

Kabul - US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta met Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Wednesday evening and reaffirmed his country's commitment to the war-torn nation, officials said.

Karzai and Panetta talked about bilateral relations, the ongoing security handover from international forces to Afghan forces, a strategic partnership agreement between the United States and Afghanistan, and the training and equipping of Afghan security forces, Afghan officials said.

The meeting took place in Karzai's fortified palace in Kabul.

'Panetta assured President Karzai the US will continue its assistance after 2014,' the official said. 'He also said the US will support in the training of Afghan national security forces.'

'President Karzai welcomed the reaffirmation of assistance from the US and said the Afghan people were deeply grateful for the support.

In a meeting with reporters, Panetta later said the US mission was heading in the right direction 'but the mission is not complete yet.'

Panetta also visited a military base in the volatile eastern province of Paktika, which remains one of the key areas of focus for international and Afghan efforts against Taliban insurgents.

This is Panetta's second visit to Afghanistan since taking office in July and comes just a week after an unprecedented twin suicide attacks on Shi'ite Muslim gathering in two cities, including Kabul, that killed at least 80 people.

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