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State Department: USA to maintain presence in Afghanistan and Central Asia after 2014

Other News Materials 23 April 2013 17:07 (UTC +04:00)
The United States of America will maintain its presence in Afghanistan and Central Asia after 2014, United States Deputy Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said at a press conference in Astana on Tuesday.
State Department: USA to maintain presence in Afghanistan and Central Asia after 2014

Kazakhstan, Astana, April 23 / Trend, D. Mukhtarov /

The United States of America will maintain its presence in Afghanistan and Central Asia after 2014, United States Deputy Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake said at a press conference in Astana on Tuesday.

"President Obama has not yet made a decision on how many troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014, and until such a decision is made, there is no clarity on which bases and transit centers will be preserved. But I want to say explicitly that we will keep our presence in Afghanistan and Central Asia, and will do everything to maintain peace and stability, not only in Afghanistan but in the entire Central Asian region," Blake said.

According to him, the United States and Kazakhstan have made great progress in their strategic partnership.

"We are pleased to see progress not only in trade and investment, but also in seeing Kazakhstan's leading role in the region," Blake said.

He also expressed his gratitude to the countries neighboring Afghanistan for their help in getting it involved in the economic community.

"I am pleased to hear that Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan will soon be launching a railroad that will in the future be integrated into Afghanistan's railway system," Blake said.

He also thanked the Government of Kazakhstan for its support in Afghan integration processes and for the fact that Almaty hosts a conference on the Istanbul process next week.

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