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KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- A day after Afghanistan's first democratically-elected president was sworn in, the new government signed a much delayed security agreement with the U.S. and NATO.

Afghanistan's newly-appointed national security adviser, Hanif Atmar, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham signed the Bilateral Security Agreement on Tuesday afternoon at the presidential palace in Kabul.

The agreement establishes a legal framework for the U.S. to train, advise and assist Afghan national security forces, and allows for the U.S. and international partners to provide necessary financial support to the Afghan forces.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced in May that a signed agreement would permit approximately 9,800 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014. There are currently around 24,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the Pentagon noted.

The signing of the BSA was long delayed due to former Afghan President Hamid Karzai's refusal to sign. With an unclear post-2014 plan for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Obama warned Karzai in February that the U.S. would be forced to consider a full military withdrawal by the end of 2014.

Without Karzai's approval, the Obama Administration acknowledged in the intervening months that a continuing U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan was contingent upon Afghanistan's new leadership signing the BSA.

Obama explained Tuesday that the eventual signing of the BSA was the result of "nearly two years of hard work by negotiating teams on both sides."

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul hailed the signing of the BSA as "another important step in solidifying our strong bilateral relationship and an essential component for supporting Afghanistan's long-term security."

The BSA will go into effect on January 1, 2015.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also applauded the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement between NATO and Afghanistan on Tuesday, paving the way for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to begin on January 1.

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Afghanistan signs Bilateral Security Agreement with U.S.

A daily roundup on terrorism and security issues.

Afghanistan and the United States signed a long-delayed security pact Tuesday, ensuring that American troops can stay in the country after the end of the year, in the first major step of newly inaugurated President Ashraf Ghani.

The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) was signed by US Ambassador James Cunningham and Afghanistans National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar, in a televised ceremony at the presidential palace, Reuters reports.

Under the agreement, up to9,800 US soldiers are allowed to stay in Afghanistan after the end of combat operations this year, to help train and advise Afghan military and police forces. A separate pact also signed with NATO Tuesday allows for a small force of roughly 3,000 international troops.

The signing of the security arrangements comes a day after Mr. Ghani was sworn in as Afghanistans second president and signals his desire to reset ties with the US after his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, angered Washington by refusing to ink the agreement.

Mr. Karzai stunned Afghans and international officials alike byrefusing to sign the security dealwith Washington even after it had been approved by the Loya Jirga gathering of local representatives in November, of 2013, the Wall Street Journal writes.

Mr. Karzai, whose ties with the West had soured in recent years, said the agreements would undermine chances for peace with the Taliban, who remain a formidable threat to the central government.

Both Ghani and his campaign opponent Abdullah Abdullah had promised to sign the BSA as a first priority in office. The bitterly disputed and drawn-out election, results of which were delayed due to Mr. Abdullahs accusations of mass fraud, had raised fears that no new president would be in place to sign the deal.

The signing of the security pacts was also a precondition to the continued dispersement of foreign aid. Afghanistan government is hugely reliant on foreign aid a World Bank study in May found that in the year to Sept. 30, 2011, foreign aid was the equivalent of Afghanistans entire GDP, the Economist notes.

The security agreements are directly linked to the continued delivery of billions of dollars in aid that the Afghan government and its armed forces need to survive," The Wall Street Journal writes.

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Crisis averted? Afghanistan, US sign security pact (+video)

Published September 30, 2014

U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunnigham during a news conference at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Sept. 29, 2014.(AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan and the United States signed a security pact on Tuesday to allow U.S. forces to remain in the country past the end of year, ending a year of uncertainty over the fate of foreign troops supporting Afghanis as they take over responsibility for the country's security.

Afghan, American and NATO leaders welcomed the deal, which will allow about 10,000 American troops to stay in the country after the international combat mission ends Dec. 31. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai had refused to sign it despite U.S. threats of a full withdrawal in the absence of legal protections for American forces. U.S. officials have said that the delay in the deal's signing does not affect plans for next year.

President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, who was sworn into office a day earlier, told the assembled crowd that the agreement signaled a fundamental shift for the positive in the country's relations with the world.

"This agreement is only for Afghan security and stability," he said. "These agreements are in our national interest. The Bilateral Security Agreement will pave the ground for Afghanistan to take control, "he added.

Newly appointed Afghan national security adviser Mohmmad Hanif Atmar and U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham signed the agreement at the presidential palace in the capital, Kabul. A second agreement allowing NATO troops to stay in the country was also signed during the same ceremony.

Government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, who has assumed a post aking to prime minister after signing a power-sharing agreement with Ghani Ahmadzai, also welcomed the security deal.

"It has been signed after very careful considerations," he said, adding that "the BSA is not a threat to our neighbors. It will help strengthen peace and stability in the region."

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen welcomed the agreement, saying it outlined the group's new mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces.

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Afghanistan, US sign security agreement - VIDEO: Lesson learned in Afghanistan?

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