Joe Biden flies to Afghanistan

The Fiji News.Net
Saturday 10th January, 2009

In Afghanistan, US Vice President-elect Joe Biden has met with Hamid Karzai, the president of the country, the head of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, General David McKiernan, and United Nations representative Kai Eide.

The official meeting was held in Kabul on Saturday to introduce the incoming administration to Afghan based officials.

The US has almost half of the 65,000 NATO troops stationed in the war-ravaged nation, and is expected to send another 30,000 troops to help rein-in a surge in violence.

The vice-president elect made it clear the Obama White House would make Afghanistan a focus of its foreign policy.

During his visit, Biden also thanked US troops for making a sacrifice in a harsh environment.

Earlier, Mr Biden has visited Pakistan, where he held separate talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari, with talks focusing on Pakistan's commitment to the war on terrorism and the tensions between Pakistan and India after the November terror attacks in Mumbai.

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