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U.S. President Barack Obama on Sunday pledged to support the new Afghan government emerging from months-long wrangling over the result of a presidential run-off.
Obama spoke over the phone to Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah Abdullah to congratulate them on concluding an agreement for a government of national unity, a move that makes way for a peaceful transfer of leadership in Afghanistan's history.
"The president reaffirmed the United States' strategic partnership with Afghanistan and commitment to continue its support to the new Afghan government," the White House said in a statement.
Ghani was declared president-elect by the Afghan Independent Election Commission on Sunday, while his rival Abdullah was named chief executive of a unity government they had agreed upon.
Abdullah had refused to accept the result over allegations of fraud in the run-off on June 14, bringing the strife-torn country to the brink of its worst political crisis and resulting in an audit of all ballots.
As most American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) combat troops are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan after invading the country in October 2001, Washington has been pressing for a bilateral security agreement on post-2014 arrangements, including the number of American troops to be left behind.
