KABUL - President Hamid Karzai, hailing the British prime minister's announcement on the withdrawal of 3,800 troops from Afghanistan next year, said his country was prepared to take over security responsibilities.

On Wednesday, David Cameron told parliamentarians almost half of the 9,000 British soldiers would be pulled out of Afghanistan in 2013, a year ahead of NATO troops' withdrawal and complete security transition to Afghan forces.

The president welcomed Cameron's announcement as well-timed, asserting Afghanistan was ready to take charge of its own security. "Afghan forces are ready to provide security and defend their country," Karzai said in a statement from his office.

The statement called the partial pullout an "appropriate" move.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Cameron said a small number of British troops would stay in the country beyond 2014 to work at an officer training academy and be "involved in returning equipment and dealing with logistics".

The premier promised: "We will not be leaving Afghanistan in terms of our support and our help for the Afghans. We will be contributing £70 million a year to help pay for the Afghan forces, we will have an aid programme in excess of £70 million a year for Afghanistan." (Pajhwok)