President Karzai Meets US Leaders of Congress on 12 of May 2010
President Hamid Karzai met Wednesday with the leaders of both Houses of the US Congress in Washington.
At a meeting with the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnel and Majority Leader Harry Reid, several issues of mutual interest including expanding bilateral strategic relations were discussed.
The President later met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and leader of the Republicans, Johan Boehner. Speaker Pelosi welcomed President Karzai to Congress and said she was pleased to see the President again in Washington.
Updated:
(5.14.2010)
She said, “It is a pleasure indeed and a privilege to welcome President Karzai back to the Capitol. He has visited us on a number of occasions, and I had the privilege this past weekend to visit Afghanistan, to visit our troops, thank them for their sacrifice and their service.”
Speaker Pelosi said she had a constructive meeting with President Karzai and it was in friendship and respect and with great candor.
She also welcomed the joint statement made by President Obama and President Karzai which she said addressed some of the concerns she had discussed with the President.
In the joint statement, in addressing security, there was recognition by both countries that there was regional responsibility for security in Afghanistan and that both countries agree that Afghanistan would be assuming more responsibility for its security.
She also added that In terms of the issue of corruption and accountability, both sides agreed that it was important to fight corruption. In terms of governance, both sides agreed that we would all work together so that Afghanistan had the institutions necessary to meet the needs of the Afghan people.
On the Peace Jirgah, Speaker Pelosi hoped they could see many more women involved in building consensus in the jirga on how possible reintegration or reconciliation can move forward.
Following was John Boehner of the Republicans, who said the two countries have a real partnership and a real partnership to help bring security to the people of Afghanistan and to do everything we can to help strengthen the institution of government in Afghanistan
President Karzai thanked the Representatives for their very warm welcome and said it was again a great pleasure to be in Washington and to be in the House of Representatives and to have been welcomed so nicely by both of the leaders.
”I had, since our arrival, a feeling of a very productive meeting, which actually is turning out to be. As the honorable Speaker spoke, there are issues which we have discussed, all the issues that she mentioned, all the issues that we did discuss and did agree upon.”
The President also said more room would be considered for women in the coming up Peace Jirgah.
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