(VOVworld) – New Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has called on government opponents, especially the Taliban and Hezb-e-Islami, to agree to political talks. At his swearing-in ceremony on Monday, Ghani promised to fight corruption and appealed for cooperation between political factions of the new coalition government. His inauguration marked the first democratic transfer of power since the Taliban regime was toppled in 2001. The Taliban is still posing a serious security threat to the Afghan government as the NATO-led mission’s mandate is about to expire in December.
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| Afghanistan's new President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (C) arrives for his inauguration as president in Kabul. (Photo: Reuters) |
White House adviser John Podesta confirmed during a press conference at the US Embassy in Kabul on Monday that the US expects to sign a bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the Afghan government on Tuesday. Ghani plans to sign a NATO Status of Forces Agreement which will allow 2,000 NATO troops to remain in Afghanistan. During his presidential campaign, Ghani promised to sign the BSA immediately after being elected.