Terming Hamid Karzai as a “partner” in the war on terror, the Obama administration said it will work with the visiting Afghan president to defeat terrorists and bring in long-term peace and development in the war-ravaged country.
“Karzai is a partner of the US in the fight against terrorism,” White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters in a sign that the US put aside its differences with Mr. Karzai in the recent past.
The White House recently went public to state that it was “troubled” with Mr. Karzai accusing the US and the Western World of interfering in its internal affairs.
“There will be serious dialogues in the days ahead on far-ranging issues, including how to best deliver on our government’s commitment to help accelerate the strengthening of Afghan security and judicial institutions,” said Afghan Ambassador to the US Karl Eikenberry.
“And discussions will also cover our combined strategy to bring peace and security to Afghanistan, long term bilateral relations, shared responsibility behind efforts to improve accountability and the performance of the Afghan government and the growth of the Afghan economy in sustainable ways,” he told reporters at the White House.
Mr. Eikenberry, who travelled with Mr. Karzai from Kabul to Washington, said currently ties between the countries, which are working towards the common goal of defeating terrorism, are at its warmest level.
“President Karzai told me, as we were flying away from Gander, that he has high hopes for his visit here and that he looks forward to discussing Afghan-American relations from the perspectives of security, governance, development and long-term strategic partnership,” he said.
Mr. Eikenberry said the topic of reintegration and reconciliation will be high on this week’s agenda.
“I think there’s clarity right now between our two governments about what the common principles should be as Afghanistan moves forward with reconciliation,” he said.
“Those principles are that anybody who would come back to the fold of Afghan society and to be received back by the people and the government of Afghanistan, they would have to renounce the use of violence, they would have to severe ties with al Qaeda and international terrorists, and they would have to respect the Afghan constitution..,” Mr. Eikenberry said.
Earlier Karzai, who has embarked on a four-day US visit, arrived to a red carpet welcome at the Andrews Air Force Base.
He is scheduled to meet Obama on Wednesday, which is expected to last about three hours.
