“Even if we withdraw, our partnership will continue”
“Respect for the US decision…thanks for the sacrifice of the US military”
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US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln visited Afghanistan without prior notice and explained the decision to withdraw US troops to the Afghan President and others.
According to the Associated Press and AFP News on the 15th (local time), Minister Blincoln, who left Brussels, Belgium, met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconciliation, in order in Kabul, the Afghan capital.
The Associated Press explained that Minister Blincoln had visited the site to explain the decision to withdraw US troops to Afghan government leaders and others.
Secretary Blincoln stressed to Afghan leaders that withdrawal does not mean the end of bilateral relations. “I want to show the continued commitment of the United States to the Afghan government and the people through my visit,” Blincoln told President Ghani. “The partnership is changing, but the relationship itself will continue.”
The Associated Press reported that President Ghani expressed his gratitude for the sacrifices made by the US military, saying, “We respect the decision of the United States.”
Earlier on the 14th, President Biden officially announced that he would completely withdraw local US troops by September 11th. The Afghan government is heavily dependent on the US politically and economically. As a result, anxiety is growing among the people as well. It is also predicted that the Taliban, an Islamic militant organization that has influence over half of the country’s territory, will be able to take full control of Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops.
Afghanistan currently has 2,500 US troops and 7,000 North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops, who will withdraw in order from the 1st of next month.
Prior to his visit to Kabul, Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, visited the Brussels NATO headquarters to meet with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and also met with foreign and defense ministers of NATO member countries.
“It’s time to bring our troops home,” Blincoln said prior to the meeting the day before. “We will work very closely on a safe, planned and coordinated withdrawal of Afghanistan.”
/ Reporter Maeng Joon-ho [email protected]
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