New French President Francois Hollande arrived in Afghanistan in a surprise visit Friday after announcing the withdraw of French combat troops there by the end of this year. After landing in Kabul, Hollande was to hold talks with his Afghan counterpart, Hamid Karzai, and meet with French troops, the French government said. He would also meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations and attend a memorial service for the 83 French soldiers who have died in the deployment since 2001, it said. Hollande, who took office May 15, was also expected to appear at a joint press conference with Karzai, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said.
