Afghan President Ashraf Ghan (R) shakes hands with deputy commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) German Army Lt. General Carsten Jacobson (L) after signing of documents to allow some US troops to stay in Afghanistan at the Presidential Palace in Kabul. -AFP

AFP/Washington

US President Barack Obama welcomed on Tuesday the 'historic' signing of a long-delayed bilateral security agreement with Afghanistan to allow about 10,000 US troops to stay in the country next year.

"Today we mark an historic day in the US-Afghan partnership that will help advance our shared interests and the long-term security of Afghanistan," the president said in a statement.

The signing under new President Ashraf Ghani took a major step towards mending frayed ties with Washington, after his predecessor, Hamid Karzai refused in a disagreement that symbolised the breakdown of Afghan-US relations after the optimism of 2001 when the Taliban were ousted from power.

"This agreement represents an invitation from the Afghan government to strengthen the relationship we have built over the past 13 years," Obama said. 

It "provides our military service members the necessary legal framework to carry out two critical missions after 2014: targeting the remnants of Al-Qaeda and training, advising, and assisting Afghan National Security Forces," he added.

The security agreement "reflects our continued commitment to support the new Afghan unity government," Obama said, referring to the power-sharing deal between Ghani and his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah that resolved months of dispute over election fraud.

"We look forward to working with this new government to cement an enduring partnership that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability, unity, and prosperity, and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating Al-Qaeda and its extremist affiliates," Obama said.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel in a separate statement called the signing "an important step forward" that "will enable American and coalition troops to continue to help strengthen Afghan forces, counter terrorist threats, and advance regional security."

NATO support next year is seen as essential for national stability -- though the limited size of the mission and the fact that it will be scaled back during 2015 will restrict its capabilities.

Hamid Karzai, who stepped down as president on Monday, had refused to sign the deal -- a disagreement that symbolised the breakdown of Afghan-US relations after the optimism of 2001 when the Taliban were ousted from power.

Afghan National Security Adviser Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador James Cunningham inked the bilateral security agreement (BSA) at a ceremony in the presidential palace in Kabul as Ghani looked on.

"We have signed an agreement which is for the good of our people, the stability of the region and the world," Ghani said, adding it would allow continued US funding for the 350,000-strong Afghan security forces.

"Threats exist to our joint interests, and this gives us a common goal," Ghani said after fulfilling his campaign vow to have the deal signed on his first full day in office.

Many long-term international aid pledges were dependent on the BSA being signed to strengthen security.

Taliban insurgents still pose a major risk despite years of effort by NATO's US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

NATO combat operations will finish at the end of this year, and the Taliban have launched a series of recent offensives that have severely tested Afghan soldiers and police.

NATO's follow-up mission, which will take over on January 1, will be made up of 9,800 US troops and about 3,000 soldiers from Germany, Italy and other member nations.

The new mission -- named Resolute Support -- will focus on training and assisting Afghan forces as they take on the Taliban, in parallel with US counter-terrorism operations.

"Afghan security forces have demonstrated their resolve and capability," US Ambassador James Cunningham said.

"This agreement will enable the United States to help (them) to build on this progress after the ISAF mission comes to a close."

Cunningham said the deal would also open the way for further support in health, education and women's issues in Afghanistan, which faces a growing economic crisis.

Negotiations over the pact saw Karzai, who came to power in 2001, at his most unpredictable as he added new demands and shifted positions, infuriating the US.

He eventually refused to sign the agreement last year despite a "loya jirga" grand assembly which he had convened voting for him to do so. There was also widespread public support for US troops to stay.

On the election campaign trail, both Ghani and his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah vowed to reverse Karzai's decision.

Without a deal, Washington had threatened to pull all US forces out by the end of the year, but it chose to wait through a long election deadlock until Afghanistan finally got a new president on Monday.

 

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