(VOVworld) – The international community hailed the formation of a unity government in Afghanistan on Sunday. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the unity government will pave the way for a stalled Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Washington and Kabul that had been due since 2013.

Afghan rival presidential candidates Abdullah Abdullah (L) and Ashraf Ghani exchange signed agreements for the country's unity government in Kabul September 21, 2014

Kerry welcomed a power-sharing deal that saw Afghan Former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani declared Afghanistan's next President and his rival Abdullah Abdullah appointed as Prime Minister, adding that the deal would bring positive progress to Afghanistan and facilitate the signing of the BSA.

On the same day, Jan Kubis, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, said the UN lauded the deal forming a unity government, calling it an important step toward fostering peace, security, and social order in Afghanistan. Kubis said the UN was committed to supporting the new government’s efforts in stabilizing its country.