Afghan parliament approves US strategic partnership

Afghanistan's parliament approved on Saturday the strategic agreement with the United States that paves the road for the of the US existence in Afghanistan for, at least, ten years after the withdrawal of the US troops 2014. The approval came in a vote Saturday and by a simple majority of those present in the 249-seat body. The US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta had expressed earlier strong support for the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the United States and Afghanistan signed by US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai in the second of May in Kabul, adding that the agreement reaffirms the long-term commitment of the United States towards Afghanistan. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed the agreement in Kabul on May 2 and it governs the relationship between the two countries through 2024.