KABUL - Afghanistan and the US on Sunday finalized the contents of the much-talked strategic partnership deal that allows a specific number of US troops to stay in the war-torn country after 2014, when most foreign troops are scheduled to leave, an official said.
President Hamid Karzai's spokesman Aimal Faizi told Pajhwok Afghan News that although the deal was finalized, foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul and national security advisor, Dr. Rangin Dadfar Spanta, were to brief both houses of Parliament on the contents on Monday.
After approved by the Parliament, the agreement would be sent to President Karzai, he said, adding the agreement would also be similarly discussed by the US Congress ahead of giving it a green signal. Opinions from former jihadi leaders and intellectuals would also be sought in this regard, he said.

Meanwhile, the Presidential Palace in a statement said the contents of the deal had been finalized and were ready to be signed by the presidents of the two countries.
Signed by Spanta and the US ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan C Crocket, the documents were exchanged at a meeting of the National Security Council at the palace, the statement said.

The pact finalized after a year-long informal negotiations between officials from the two countries, which was initially held up due to some demands from President Karzai – protecting national sovereignty, Afghan control of jails and an end to night raids on Afghan homes.

However, the US agreed to sign accords on the transfer of all Afghan jails to the control of local authorities and Afghanising night-time raids, which remained major sticking points to the strategic partnership deal.
The Kabul government had entered similar deals with several countries, including India.

Faizi said the text of the agreement was locked and now both sides would review the document for a final consultation.
In the US, the draft will go to the houses of Congress and the president, in Afghanistan, the president will consult with national leaders plus both houses of parliament.

Both sides agreed to set aside difficult questions about long-term US access to military bases and the status of any US forces that would stay on in Afghanistan. These issues will be negotiated in a separate deal some time before 2014.

Faizi said they were expecting to ink the pact some time before Chicago Summit in May.
Earlier this week, Karzai demanded that the US included in the document the funding of Afghan security forces. He said there was no doubt that the US was providing Afghans money, but the Americans should mention the amount in the agreement.

The international community has informally agreed to spend around $4 billion a year supporting the Afghan police and army, with the bulk of the funds coming from the US, some from European allies and around $500 million a year from the Afghan budget. (Pajhwok)