US Secretary of State John Kerry (left) walks to a meeting with Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, on Monday. [Photo/Agencies]

2014 election

Kerry also spoke with civic leaders preparing for Afghanistan's 2014 elections, telling them he wanted to pay the "respects of everybody in America for the journey that you are on and for the great contribution you're making to your country and the efforts you're making to develop this democracy".

"You're engaged in a remarkable effort and the whole world is watching," Kerry said.

Kerry arrived on Monday in Kabul amid concerns that Karzai may be jeopardizing progress in the war against extremism with his rhetoric. After their private meeting, Kerry said he had asked Karzai about the comments and was very satisfied with the president's explanation. He said the two countries are on the same page.

One of the female entrepreneurs Kerry met on Tuesday was Afghan women's national soccer team captain Zahra Mahmoodi, who tries to promote gender equality through sports. She said that even with the presence of the international forces and aid groups that focus on women's rights, it's still a struggle to persuade traditional conservative families to allow their daughters to play the game.

Mahmoodi also had a more pressing request for Kerry: a field on which to play. Women's teams used to use the International Security Assistance Force's pitch for games, but it has been turned into a helicopter-landing pad. Kerry promised he would look into the matter.

AP - AFP