Hagel: Afghan minister says security pact to be signed in 'timely manner'
(CNN) -- U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says his Afghan counterpart assured him that an important security pact will be reached with Kabul in a "timely manner," despite a failure so far to forge a deal.
Hagel made the remark during a visit to Afghanistan on Saturday. What is known as the bilateral security agreement -- ready to be implemented but still unsigned -- initially has been front and center in Hagel's visit.
Hagel met with Afghanistan's officials, including the country's defense minister, as Washington works to get Afghanistan to ink a bilateral security agreement to keep some U.S. and other coalition troops in the country after next year.
The Defense secretary said that from what he has heard in his discussions with Afghan ministers, they believe it's in the country's interest to have such an agreement -- which lays out the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after 2014, when the NATO-led force of some 80,000 troops is scheduled to leave.