The lower house of Afghanistan's parliament Sunday approved a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US and Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with NATO.
In an extra-ordinary session, attended by 172 members of the house and broadcast live on a local television, both security agreements were approved with voice majority and only five lawmakers expressed their opposition, Xinhua reported.
Since the US and NATO-led forces' combat mission ends by the end of 2014, the agreements allow both the US and NATO to keep a limited number of troops, probably 12,000, beyond 2014 in Afghanistan to advise and train Afghan national security forces.
Advocating ratification of the agreements, one lawmaker said during the proceedings that since Afghanistan is fighting the Taliban, al-Qaeda and like-minded terrorists, it needs long-term support from the United States and the international community.
A traditional Loya Jirga or grand assembly of tribal elders and notables, held in November 2013 and attended by some 2,500 people, expressed support for the BSA and asked then president Hamid Karzai to sign it sooner than later, a demand denied by Karzai.
Karzai's successor President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, a day after his inauguration, inked the controversial agreement BSA.
After approval by the Lower House, both agreements will be referred to Mushrano Jirga or Upper House for endorsement, an official with the lower house said.
