United States Kabul, March 1, SPA -- Afghanistan and the UnitedStates will establish a long-term military partnership andofficials have already begun working out the details, aspokesman for President Hamid Karzai said Tuesday. "We do need a long-term, strong and strategic partnership with the United States," presidential spokesman Jawed Ludin said at a newsconference. "The question of what form that will take is being workedon but it will, we believe, span over a broad range ofspheres including the economy, including politics,including military," Ludin said. The spokesman said Karzai's government wasoptimistic it can reach an agreement with officials inWashington. "They also understand that Afghanistan's situation,Afghanistan's location in this region and the strategicimportance that the U.S. presence has here will continue tobe there for some time," Ludin said.--SPA1041 Local Time 0741 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/243251