Officials in Afghanistan report progress in their “informal” talks with U.S. interlocutors on hammering out “a joint text” of a proposed bilateral security agreement. The U.S. is calling for a quick end to the talks, but a foreign ministry spokesman in Kabul reiterated Sunday the fate of the long-awaited document is linked to American guarantees for peace, stability, security and development of Afghan institutions.

阿富汗官员说，同美国就双边安全协议的非正式谈判取得了进展。美国要求迅速结束这方面的会谈，但是阿富汗外交部的发言人星期天重申，这份期待已久的文件能否成形，取决于美国能否保障和平、稳定、安全以及阿富汗各种制度的确立。

The U.S.-led military coalition plans to remove most of its combat troops from Afghanistan by end of next year. Washington, however, intends to station a small number of troops in the country beyond 2014 to continue helping Afghans with their national security.

美国领导的军事联盟计划在明年年底以前从阿富汗撤走绝大部分作战部队。不过，美国打算在2014年以后仍然在阿富汗保留一小批部队，继续协助阿富汗维持国家安全。

U.S. officials are negotiating with Afghan leaders on a security cooperation agreement that would define the status of the residual American force. But those talks were suspended in June when President Hamid Karzai boycotted U.S.-backed peace talks with the Taliban in the Gulf state of Qatar.

美国官员正在同阿富汗领导人就安全合作协议进行谈判。这份协议将就美国部队的地位作出明确规定。但是，阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊在今年6月抵制美国支持的在海湾国家卡塔尔同塔利班举行的和谈，美阿谈判因此陷入僵局。

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesman Janan Mausazai on Sunday confirmed to reporters in Kabul that “informal” talks with U.S. officials to finalize the security deal are under way, and the two sides have made progress on a joint draft.

阿富汗外交部发言人莫萨扎伊星期天在喀布尔向新闻界证实，同美国官员为敲定安全协议举行的非正式谈判正在进行，双方起草草案的工作取得进展。

But the spokesman reiterated that his country wants the final document to include provisions such as U.S. “guarantees for security, peace, stability and development of Afghan state institutions.” He added that these guarantees are among the issues to be discussed in future meetings, saying there is no deadline set for signing the agreement.

不过，这位发言人还重申，阿富汗要求协议中包括“美国保障安全、和平、稳定以及阿富汗国家制度的确立”这样的字样。他还说，这些保障是以后的会谈中要讨论的内容之一，而且，协议的签署没有期限。

The head of the U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan, U.S. General Joseph Dunford, has emphasized the need for signing the pact. He told the Associated Press the agreement will strengthen the confidence of Afghan security forces to deal with challenges facing them.

在阿富汗的美军和联军指挥官敦福德将军强调了签署这份协议的必要性。他对美联社说，这份协议可以加强阿富汗安全部队迎接挑战的信心。

The American commander added it will also send a clear message to the Afghan people and Taliban insurgents that the international community remains committed to the future stability of Afghanistan.

这位美国指挥官还说，这样的协议还可以告诉阿富汗人民和塔利班叛乱分子，国际社会仍然保持着对未来阿富汗稳定的承诺。

“We are still on track for a change in mission at the end of 2014 and we will be transitioning to a post-2014 mission some time in the late fall of 2014. But we will still be engaged with our Afghan counterparts through 2014 and still work in those areas, where identified as requiring extra work," Dunford said.

他说：“我们仍然在准备迎接2014年年底以后使命的转变。我们将在2014年晚秋完成这一转变。”

During a recent trip to Kabul, U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan James Dobbins said Washington has already made substantial commitments to continue financing the Afghan security forces after 2014 and remains committed to do so in the future.

美国的阿富汗和巴基斯坦事务特使杜宾斯最近访问喀布尔的时候说，美国已经在2014年以后继续资助阿富汗安全部队方面做出了重大承诺，并且今后将继续这样做。

There are 66,000 Americans among some 100,000 international troops currently deployed in Afghanistan. By February, the U.S. presence will be reduced to half while other nations also plan deep cuts.

在目前驻扎在阿富汗的10万多国际部队中，有6万6千美国官兵。到明年二月份，美军人数将减少一半，其他国家也计划大幅度削减驻军人数。

But analysts are skeptical whether Afghan national security forces will be able to deal with the Taliban after 2014. Some believe that hostilities will continue unless insurgents are engaged in a sustainable political reconciliation process.

不过，分析人士对于阿富汗安全部队能否在2014年以后对付塔利班持怀疑态度。其中一些人认为，如果叛乱力量不参与可持续的政治和解进程，冲突将继续下去。

On Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Masuazai revealed that Taliban leaders sheltering in Pakistan had secretly contacted the Afghan government about joining the peace process.

阿富汗外交部发言人莫萨扎伊星期天透露，躲避在巴基斯坦的塔利班领导人已经就参与和平进程问题秘密接触阿富汗政府。

But, he said, “those Taliban leaders who contacted the government or want to initiate peace talks were either killed or put in jails in Pakistan." He said the Pakistani government’s “noncooperation” remains a major obstacle to opening a peace dialogue with the Taliban.

但是他还说，“那些和阿富汗政府进行接触或者愿意开始和谈的塔利班领导人不是被杀害，就是被巴基斯坦关进监狱。”他说，巴基斯坦政府的不合作态度仍然是和塔利班展开和谈的重大障碍。

A Taliban spokesman on Saturday denied the group's leaders were in contact with Kabul authorities covertly or overtly.

塔利班的一名发言人星期六否认这个组织的领导人同阿富汗当局进行了秘密或公开的接触。

For its part, Islamabad rejects allegations that it is trying to influence the events in Afghanistan in any way. Instead, it says, Pakistan is seeking to facilitate an “intra-Afghan” dialogue to end the 12-year conflict.

而在巴基斯坦方面，当局也否认试图以任何方式影响阿富汗的走向。相反，伊斯兰堡说，它寻求推动阿富汗的对话，以结束历时12年的冲突。

Pakistan was one of the three countries that recognized the Taliban when they were in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, allegedly supported the emergence of the Islamist movement on the Afghan political scene and supposedly still maintains close ties with fugitive Taliban leaders.