(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Afghan defence minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi Wednesday expressed his conviction that the new President of Afghanistan who will be elected after the second round of polls on June 14 will sign bilateral security agreements with the US and the status-of-forces agreement with NATO.
The new elected president will sign the two agreements in the first week of their office, he told a press conference after the end of a NATO defence ministers meeting with non-NATO ISAF contributing countries in Brussels.
Both the US and NATO have set the signing of the agreements as a condition to launch a new train, assist and advice mission in Afghanistan after their pullout from the country in 2014.
"We are prepared to cover the second round of presidential elections that will be successful," stressed the Afghan minister.
"I expressed my gratitude to NATO and all partner countries for their constant support to the people of Afghanistan," he said.
"We face challenges. For example we don't have well equipped air force," he noted and also warned of continued threats by terrorist groups.
Mohammadi welcomed the recent decision announced by US President Barack Obama to leave 9,800 US troops behind in Afghanistan after 2014.
He also welcomed the recent rapprochement between India and Pakistan.
"We have never been against such a relation. We want the rapprochement because it will have positive implications on the region and on Afghanistan," he added.
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