Wednesday
May122010
Obama, Karzai Highlight Nations' 'Well-Rooted' Relationship
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 3:09PM
U.S. President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai acknowledged the tense relationship between the two nations during a joint press conference Wednesday, but also sought to highlight what Karzai described as their “well-rooted” relationship.
“Definitely days have come in which we’ve had a difference of opinion, and definitely days will come in which we’ll have a difference of opinion,” Karzai said while standing at a podium alongside Obama in the White House’s East Room. “But the relationship between the two governments and the two nations is strong.”
Karzai noted that the sometimes frank interaction between the two leaders has ultimately helped solidify the nations’ bond.
Relations between Afghanistan and the U.S. suffered a blow in recent months following the Afghan presidential elections, wherein Karzai speculated that the U.S. and other western entities played a hand in the results.
However, Obama stated Wednesday that the widely-described strains the comments reportedly put on the two governments’ were at least partially exaggerated.
"With respect to perceived tensions between the U.S. government and the Afghan government ... a lot of them were simply overstated," Obama said.
“Definitely days have come in which we’ve had a difference of opinion, and definitely days will come in which we’ll have a difference of opinion,” Karzai said while standing at a podium alongside Obama in the White House’s East Room. “But the relationship between the two governments and the two nations is strong.”
Karzai noted that the sometimes frank interaction between the two leaders has ultimately helped solidify the nations’ bond.
Relations between Afghanistan and the U.S. suffered a blow in recent months following the Afghan presidential elections, wherein Karzai speculated that the U.S. and other western entities played a hand in the results.
However, Obama stated Wednesday that the widely-described strains the comments reportedly put on the two governments’ were at least partially exaggerated.
"With respect to perceived tensions between the U.S. government and the Afghan government ... a lot of them were simply overstated," Obama said.
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