US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has praised Britain's call to reconcile with moderate Taliban guerrillas in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband take part in a joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, Wednesday, July 29, 2009. [J. Scott Applewhite/CCTV/AP Photo]

In a joint appearance with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, Clinton said that the allies agreed on how to handle the Taliban.

Miliband said on Monday that while hard-line commanders must be pursued relentlessly, rank-and-file Taliban should be given the opportunity to reconcile with the Afghan government. He also said the August twentieth elections in Afghanistan needed to be "credible."

Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State. said, "His analysis of the way forward is very much consistent with ours, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of our common objectives. I also want to state publicly what I mentioned to the foreign secretary: my admiration for the incredible courage, service and sacrifice of the British troops working for stability and peace in Afghanistan."

(CCTV July 30, 2009)