President Barack Obama spoke on the phone today with both Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his main challenger Abdullah Abduallah. The White House issued a press release on the calls. The full text is below.
President Obama expressed his appreciation for President Karzai’s decision to accept the certification of Afghanistan’s first round election results, and to agree to a second round of voting. President Obama underscored that this decision was in the best interests of the Afghan people, and reiterated the ongoing United States commitment to an outcome that reflects the will of the Afghan people. President Obama also called Dr. Abdullah Abdullah to express appreciation for his constructive efforts.
President Obama received an update from Ambassador Einkenberry on developments related to the Afghan elections. President Obama thanked Ambassador Eikenberry and his team for their hard and exceptional work in recent days, and discussed his appreciation for Senator John Kerry’s collaboration with the Ambassador.
