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US commits to Afghan security in new pact: Official

The United States has committed to ensuring Afghanistan's security for at least 10 years after most of its troops pull out in 2014, the Afghan deputy foreign minister said.

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The United States has committed to ensuring Afghanistan's security for at least 10 years after most of its troops pull out in 2014, the Afghan deputy foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"That is a very important aspect of this relationship," Jawed Ludin said in response to a question about US military commitment in a draft strategic partnership pact agreed yesterday.

But the agreement should not be seen by neighbouring countries as a threat to their own security and would be "a force for good for the whole region," Ludin told a group of foreign journalists.

"We have made it very clear in this document that this can't be used against a third country and this will not affect the security of Afghanistan's neighbours," he said.

The full text of the document, which still has to be signed by US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai, has not been released and a US embassy spokesman said today details would not be discussed before it was final.

Afghanistan holds a strategic position in the region, neighbouring Iran, Pakistan and China as well as three former Soviet states, and Ludin said it wanted to build relations throughout the region.

"We would like to show to this neighbourhood that Afghanistan is a positive -- and can be an even more positive -- force for peace and stability in this region and they should see (the pact) as such," he said.

"That's our vision, but the nation has had bad experiences -- we need guarantees, we need to be able to be strong at the same time."
 

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