Croatia to sign partnership agreement with Afghanistan

Visiting Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic said Sunday that her country is looking forward to inking a partnership agreement with Afghanistan.

"I am looking forward to signing an agreement on comprehensive friendship and partnership with Afghanistan soon, because Croatia will continue to stand by your country," President Kitarovic said at a joint press conference with her counterpart Mohammad Ashraf Ghani in Afghan Presidential Palace here.

The partnership agreement between the two countries is expected to be inked during the visit of President Ghani to Croatia in future, the Croatian president added.

Assuring her country's firm support for Afghanistan, the Croatian president said, "Croatia remains strongly committed to sovereign, secure, stable and unified Afghanistan."

The Croatian government had contributed hundreds of troops to Afghanistan to help stabilize the war-torn country within the framework of the UN mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) which ended its combat mission in late 2014.

"We have assisted you through ISAF, we now assist you through Resolute Support Mission (RSM) and I hope that we will continue to talk about the future of Afghanistan in terms of security and also prosperity and encouraging you to conduct the necessary reforms to put country on the road of a safe and secure future," President Kitarovic said.

Prior to holding the press conference, both leaders exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, including high level exchanges, economic cooperation, cultural and education exchanges.

President Ghani, for his part, termed terrorism as a common threat to the region and the world and called for joint cooperation to overcome the menace.

Afghanistan, besides fighting terrorism, would also push for peace process and national reconciliation to ensure lasting peace in the country, President Ghani asserted.