KABUL - Jihadi leaders and political figures on Wednesday urged President Hamid Karzai to ensure that Afghanistan's national interests and sovereignty were protected in talks with the US on a new security agreement.

President Karzai is scheduled to visit Washington next month for talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama on America's military presence in Afghanistan after the pullout of NATO-led combat troops by the end of 20014.

Karzai said on Dec.13 the discussions would focus on the number of US military personnel staying in Afghanistan after an end to NATO's combat mission.

Although the US attached great importance to immunity from Afghan laws for the post-2014 troops, the president said, promising he would cling to his own priorities at the meeting.

The president indicated he would be better-placed to plead for granting immunity to US troops if the Americans helped his administration develop a strong Afghan air force and a capability to safeguard its interests in the region.

A meeting, chaired by Karzai and attended by jihadi leaders and politicians, conferred on the president's visit to the US and preparations for opening the Taliban's political bureau in Qatar.

A statement from the Presidential Palace said Karzai shared with his interlocutors the agenda of his meeting with Obama. The participants agreed the upcoming talks must focus on the country's core interests and sovereignty.

Ex-president Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, Pir Syed Ahmad Gilani, the two vice-presidents, the Wolesi Jirga speaker, the Senate chairman, Gul Rahman Qazi, Qayamuddin Kashaf, High Peace Council Chairman Salahuddin Rabbani, some MPs and presidential advisors attended the meeting.

The bilateral security agreement (BSA), which will supersede the current status of forces accord, is expected to be signed next year. The Pentagon has hinted at the likelihood of protections for American personnel. (Pajhwok)