Washington, March 31, 2010, SPA -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Tuesday expressed cautious optimism about Afghanistan’s chances for peace, saying progress on military and civilian fronts must be sustained. “I think the situation in Afghanistan-about which we spoke at some length during our meeting in the last two days-is cause for both optimism and caution,” Clinton said at the end of meetings among Group of Eight (G8) foreign ministers in Gatineau, Canada. “On the optimism side, I believe that we are employing a strategy that is working,” the top U.S. diplomat said. “It is working on both the military and the civilian front,” she said, noting recent military gains in Marjah in southwestern Afghanistan. Overall, what is needed is “sustainable progress and development that leads to stability,” Clinton said. “The most important player in this is not any of us or other members of the international community but the government and people of Afghanistan.” --SPA 11:44 LOCAL TIME 08:44 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/764428