Kerry Congratulates New Afghan President, 'Chief Executive Officer' - East Idaho News
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Kerry Congratulates New Afghan President, ‘Chief Executive Officer’

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102413 JohnKerrySTATEDEPT?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1412040313528Credit: US Department of State(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of State John Kerry praised the leaders of Afghanistan after new president Ashraf Ghani and his former election opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, took their positions on Monday.

Ghani was sworn in as president and Abdullah took on a role Kerry called “chief executive officer.” Kerry called both men “patriots committed to the success of their country.”

Kerry congratulated the country on taking “a moment of challenge and [turning] it into a moment of real opportunity.”

While Kerry didn’t specifically mention it, a key matter under the new government will be the signing of a bilateral security agreement, allowing U.S. forces to remain in Afghanistan.

“Thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of so many from around the world, in addition to the strides it has made in consolidating its democratic system, Afghanistan has made unprecedented gains in the life expectancy, health and education of its people — particularly women and girls,” Kerry noted.

Calling the swearing-in “a beginning, not an ending,” Kerry spoke glowingly of the possibility of a “sovereign, unified and democratic Afghanistan.”


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