Afghan President Hamid Karzai has said that the Afghan-US Bilateral Security Agreement, BSA, will be signed only after the United States guarantees peace in the country. Mr Karzai said this while addressing the concluding function of the Loya Jirga or the Grand Assembly of the tribal elders in Kabul yesterday.

The Consultative Loya Jirga was called by the Afghan President to solicit opinion of the proposed security pact with the United States. The pact will facilitate continued presence of the International Force in Afghanistan after the completion of UN mandated International Force mission in the country by the end of next year.