French President Francois Hollande arrived on a surprise visit to Afghanistan early this morning. He met French soldiers posted in Nirab district of Kapisa province. Addressing them he said that time for withdrawl of French soldiers from Afghanistan has come. Thanking French soldiers for carrying out their mission in the country he said it is the time for Afghan sovereignty. Later French President reached Kabul to meet Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

President Hollande during his election campaign recently and also at the NATO summit in Chicago earlier this week had announced the pull out of French troops from Afghanistan ahead of the NATO schedule of 2014. There are 3,400 French soldiers in Afghanistan.