Cameron In Afghanistan For Major Talks

David Cameron is in Kabul major trilateral talks with Afghan president and Pakistan's PM. Sky's Sophy Ridge is there.

David Cameron and Hamid Karzai reiterated their commitment to ensuring a safe and secure Afghanistan after British leave by the end of 2014.

The Afghan President described Mr Cameron a "friend to Afghanistan", and the Prime Minister said two men "share the same vision" the country.

At a press conference in Kabul, Mr Cameron emphasised the importance putting the political and military groundwork place ahead of the planned withdrawal.

He also pledged to set a Sandhurst-style officer training academy British forces to train Afghans, signing a memorandum of understanding that effect.

The two leaders are major trilateral talks with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Raja Ashraf, is on his first visit to the country his election last month.

Mr Ashraf is understood to delayed his visit to Afghanistan so he could coincide with his British counterpart's , which is his first to Kabul a year.

Mr Cameron urged the two nations to work in "one single fight", saying: "the terrorists trying wreck Pakistan are the terrorists trying to wreck Afghanistan."

Standing alongside Mr Karzai, he warned Taliban not to "wait it out" until troops withdraw in 2014 - vowing that British support would continue after the planned exit .

"The Taliban should be in doubt that we will be handing over to a very large, very capable Afghan security ," he said at the conference held in the gardens of the presidential palace.

He added: "You cannot wait this until foreign forces leave in 2014 because we will be firm friends and supporters of Afghanistan long 2014."

Mr Cameron said: "This is fight that we all need to be engaged to save Afghanistan from Talibanisation and we need to do the to help Pakistan, which is threatened a very similar terrorist threat.

"So we should be together in single fight because it's in all our interests have a stable, peaceful, democratic Afghanistan and a stable, peaceful, democratic Pakistan."

The Prime Minister said on Wednesday that plans would be set this autumn for a withdrawal of significant numbers to troops next year, of the 2014 cut-off.

However, some senior military figures Camp Bastion expressed their concern at the ability of Afghan forces to maintain stability International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) troop numbers remain high at least the next two years.


Adapted from: Sky News, July 19, 2012.