Children play marbles in an old section of Kabul on Monday. Keeping up a flow of Western aid to Afghanistan is considered crucial to ensuring stability in the country.
Kabul: US Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham said that the future aid to Afghanistan will not be possible if the government of Afghanistan fails to sign the bilateral security agreement with Washington, Afghan Online Newspaper Khamma Press has reported.
The remarks by US ambassador comes amid preparations by Afghan officials to hold a national meeting (Loya Jirga) to finalise the bilateral security agreement between the two nations, and US officials have warned that failure to sign the agreement will comprise with the future US aid to Afghanistan.
James Cunningham told reporters in capital Kabul that the economic and security plans of Washington for Afghanistan are directly linked with the security deal.
Cunningham said the bilateral security agreement will ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan and will pave the way for further US assistance to the government of Afghanistan.
The future aid of Washington to Afghanistan will not be possible if the two nations failed to reach to an agreement on bilateral security agreement, Cunningham said adding that the security deal will be for national interest of Afghanistan.
He also ruled out a long term US military presence in Afghanistan and said that the military bases which will be given to US military will not be used against any other nation.
The national grand council (Loya Jirga) is expected to be organised in late November and nearly 3,000 people including tribal elders are expected to gather on 19 to 21 November to discuss and vote on bilateral security agreement between Kabul and Washington.
The main issue which will be debated during the national grand council is the US troops immunity that will remain in the country beyond 2014.
President Hamid Karzai called for national grand council (Loya Jirga) following his meeting with the US Secretary of State John Kerry earlier this month.
Agencies
