King Philippe of Belgium (R) meets with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Oct. 5, 2016, in Brussels. World powers pledged billions of dollars for war-ravaged Afghanistan until 2020. Kerry pointed to a recent peace deal between Afghan officials and fugitive militant leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, calling it a path to an “honorable” peace. “Without our vigilance and support, Afghanistan could easily slide backward” as it grapples with violent extremism, political factionalism and poverty, he said. Read more:Afghanistan’s shaky national unity government approaches its second anniversaryAfghan government signs peace pact with guerrilla group led by fugitive IslamistAn Afghan warlord comes out of the shadows to make peace.

Source: Washington Post October 05, 2016 13:59 UTC