Bush congratulates Karzai on new Cabinet

Washington, May 3 : US President George W Bush has spoken to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and congratulated him on the approval of his Cabinet by the National Assembly.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters that the two leaders yesterday discussed the security situation in Afghanistan, lauding the outstanding performance of Canadian troops deployed in the south and looking forward to NATO deployments of British and Dutch troops slated to take place in the summer. They also deliberated on the increased efforts of Afghani police forces in the south.

Mr Karzai and President Bush underlined the importance of counter-narcotics efforts and praised the political and economic progress achieved in Afghanistan. They also spoke about ongoing cooperation with Pakistan, Mr McClellan said.

UNI