ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The prime minister’s advisor on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan welcomes the bilateral security agreement between the United States and the new Afghan government.
The Afghan officials and the US signed a long-delayed security agreement on Tuesday to allow the US troops to stay in Afghanistan after the end of the year.
Under the agreement, 12,000 foreign military personnel are expected to stay in Afghanistan after 2014 when the combat mission of US-led NATO force ends in the war-torn country.
In an interview with the BBC, the advisor said that Pakistan has always maintained the stance that it is an issue between the US and Afghanistan.
Sartaj Aziz said that according to experts, this agreement would help bring in improved safety. He said that the US and NATO forces would remain in Afghanistan for the training and assistance of Afghan forces.
The advisor also described the maiden speech of the new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani very positive. He said that the start is very good and mechanism of monitoring of borders could also be finalized.
The premier’s advisor hoped that trust deficit between the two sides would also be narrowed down in due course.
