Afghan President Hamid Karzai and US Secretary of State John Kerry reached a partial agreement Saturday on a bilateral security pact between the two countries, but not on the key issue of US troop immunity, dpa reported.
Karzai and Kerry held a joint press conference after all-day negotiations on the deal that will allow American troops to remain in Afghanistan after the NATO-led coalition withdraws troops next year.
Kerry, who has been in Afghanistan for two days, said a major sticking point in efforts to sign the security agreement was the issue of jurisdiction over American troops if they commit a crime.
Kerry told a news conference Saturday that if there is no agreement on immunity from Afghan law for American soldiers, there will not be a deal.