Washington - United States President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai agreed in a video conference on Thursday to continue a “partnership” tested by violence sparked after American troops burned Qur’ans.
The two leaders also discussed regional security and Afghan-led reconciliation talks with the Taliban, White House spokesperson Jay Carney added.
The fallout from the burning of Qur’ans at a US base has complicated already troubled negotiations about the nature of the US-Afghan relationship once Nato combat troops leave in two years' time.
The US military has insisted the Qur’ans were sent to the incinerator by accident and that the incident was unintentional.
But the Qur’an burning ignited days of violent anti-US protests in which 40 people died, plunging relations between foreign forces and their Afghan allies to an all-time low and forcing Obama to apologise. - Sapa-AFP