“Moreover, we remain committed to help finance the Afghan security forces through 2017, to help Afghanistan to further strengthen its institutions, and to further develop our political and practical cooperation with Afghanistan through our enduring partnership.

“I warmly congratulate President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah as they assume their duties.  They enter office at a pivotal moment for Afghanistan.  We will continue to stand with them and with the Afghan people for a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan,” Rasmussen’s statement concluded. It was Rasmussen’s last day in office.

“These agreements follow an historic Afghan election in which the Afghan people exercised their right to vote and ushered in the first peaceful democratic transfer of power in their nation’s history,” Obama said. “The BSA reflects our continued commitment to support the new Afghan Unity Government, and we look forward to working with this new government to cement an enduring partnership that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability, unity, and prosperity, and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating Al Qaeda and its extremist affiliates.”

U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III congratulated the people of Afghanistan on their “historic, peaceful transfer of power” in a statement, but cautioned that there was still much work to do, particularly in forming a national coalition government.

“The new Afghan government took an important step forward today by signing a bilateral security agreement with the United States and a Status of Forces Agreement with NATO,” Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said in a statement. “These agreements will enable American and coalition troops to continue to help strengthen Afghan forces, counter terrorist threats, and advance regional security. As the Afghan people celebrate their nation’s first peaceful and democratic transfer of power, I look forward to working with President Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah, and other members of Afghanistan’s new government. I also thank General Campbell, the men and women of ISAF, and their partners in the Afghan National Security Forces as we bring our combat mission to an end and build an enduring strategic partnership with the people of Afghanistan.”

U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III congratulated the people of Afghanistan on their “historic, peaceful transfer of power” in a statement, but cautioned that there was still much work to do, particularly in forming a national coalition government.

“However, I am hopeful that the leadership will do the right things going forward,” he continued. “And, certainly today’s signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement between the governments of the United States and Afghanistan signaled progress. This pact paves the way for further cooperation and close collaboration between our countries.”

“And as we prepare to transition to a traditional security cooperation mission in the coming years, we remain committed to providing the necessary support to our Afghan partners and, in particular, to their national security forces,” Austin said.