Friday, July 11, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY MAKES REMARKS WITH AFGHAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Afghan Presidential Candidate Ashraf Ghani Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Kabul, Afghanistan
July 11, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: I want to say very quickly that it’s a pleasure to meet with Dr. Ghani again. We know each other well; we’ve had many, many discussions through the years, and I’m here because President Obama and the United States of America are deeply interested in a unified, democratic, and stable Afghanistan. We obviously have high hopes that the questions about the election will be resolved quickly, can be resolved, and that a way forward can take place which can give Afghans confidence that they have a presidency and a government that is capable of unifying all Afghans and building a road to the future. So that’s why I’m here and we’re going to have a lot to talk about. Thank you.

MR. GHANI: May I take a moment? It’s a great honor and pleasure to welcome Secretary of State Kerry to Afghanistan. He’s been a friend of Afghanistan for many years. I’ve had the pleasure and honor to work with him personally on the security agreement and a range of other issues. We are delighted the Secretary is here.

Our commitment is to ensure that the election process enjoys the integrity and the legitimacy that the people of Afghanistan and the world will believe. Therefore, we believe in the most intensive and extensive audit possible to restore faith. Simultaneously, from day one when we accepted our nominations, our commitment has been to an inclusive government, a government that could represent all of Afghans and serve every Afghan citizen in the manner that every Afghan deserves according to the constitution.

We are delighted that you’re here, Mr. Secretary, and look very much forward to conversation.

SECRETARY KERRY: Likewise we do, and obviously as the doctor has said previously, no one is declaring victory at this time. The results are yet to be finalized, and so those questions have to be resolved, and I’m very appreciative that Dr. Ghani respects that fact.

MR. GHANI: Absolutely.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, sir.

MR. GHANI: Thank you.


Remarks With Afghan Presidential Candidate Abdullah Abdullah Before Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Kabul, Afghanistan
July 11, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: So let me just say very quickly what a pleasure it is for me to again be able to meet with Dr. Abdullah Abdullah. We – as I said earlier, the United States has one overriding interest here, and that is the people of Afghanistan, that Afghanistan have a government that is recognized by all the people through a legitimate democratic process. And we want a unified, stable, democratic Afghanistan. It is important that whoever is president is recognized by the people as having become president through a legitimate process, and that a government be one that can unify the people and lead into the future. The results that were announced on Monday are preliminary; they are neither authoritative nor final, and no one should be stating a victory at this point in time.

So I look forward to my conversation with Dr. Abdullah, and hopefully in the course of the hours ahead we can find a way for Afghanistan to find in this election the road ahead that it needs so desperately. I now look forward to working with Dr. Abdullah to do that. Thank you for coming to visit.

MR. ABDULLAH: Thank you, Secretary. Thank you for coming and thank you for your continued support for the people of Afghanistan in many ways. And we are grateful for the assistances for the people of Afghanistan as well as the sacrifices that your people have done alongside the Afghans. And the joint achievement and the future of our achievement depend on the success of the democratic process. It’s not the (inaudible), it’s not the (inaudible).

If you are here 13 years down the road – 13 years ago the room was different in this country. Then a new process has started and we had a good transition of power, a peaceful one, and, in a way, hopeful one, because we meant to enter democratic process. But there was an opportunity (inaudible), and at a very critical time, once again yourself proved to a commitment to help Afghanistan in saving Afghanistan, in saving the democratic process here. We thank you and we welcome you, and hopefully all of us will utilize the precious time of your presence here in the best interests of our country.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you.

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