Britain's newly elected Prime Minister David Cameron and Afghan President Hamid Karzi agreed in talks Saturday to "further strengthen" ties between the two countries, a spokesman for Cameron said. The two met at the premier's country residence, Chequers, in Buckinghamshire, in south-east England, following Karzai's visit to the United States. "They discussed President Karzai's very successful visit to Washington, and the prospects for the peace jirga in Afghanistan," dpa quoted a Downing Street spokesman as saying. Karzai is scheduled to host the jirga, or peace gathering, at the end of May. US President Barack Obama last week offered strong support for the initiative, which is aimed at reconciliation with members of the Taliban who are willing to renounce violence and sever ties with al-Qaeda. Karzai is the first international leader to pay a visit to the new Conservative British premier. His visit came a day after Britain's new Foreign Secretary, William Hague, held a first meeting with his US counterpart, Hillary Rodham Clinton. According to Hague, Cameron has made Afghanistan mission "our top priority in foreign affairs." "This is a crucial year, this may be a decisive year in Afghanistan. It is vital that we continue to make the military progress, the security progress, on the ground," he told the BBC in an interview Saturday.
