Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hosted Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday as the two sides opened high-level talks in Washington. Karzai is making his first trip to Washington since President Obama expanded the war by ordering the deployment of 30,000 more troops. On Tuesday Clinton said the US commitment to Afghanistan will remain long into the future.

Sen. Hillary Clinton: “Your government can begin to assume greater responsibility for security starting next year, but aided by our continued support. A sustained focus on economic, social and political development, as well as continued training of Afghan security forces, is essential to help build the effective and durable institutions necessary for long-term stability. So let me be clear. As we look toward a responsible orderly transition in the international combat mission in Afghanistan, we will not abandon the Afghan people. Our civilian commitment will remain long into the future.”

Karzai acknowledged that the two countries have had their disagreements, but he said he and Clinton have a mutual goal.

Hamid Karzai: “As two mature nations and as two mature governments — by now, the Afghan government is mature, too — we’ll be having disagreements on issues from time to time, but that is the sign of a mature relationship and the sign of a steady relationship. And this steady and mature relationship is definitely going to get us the objectives, in pursuit of which we have joined hands, to bring security to Afghanistan and, by extension, to the United States and the rest of the world.”