WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and Afghan President Hamid Karzai spoke in a call yesterday about efforts to quickly resolve one of the most vexing issues in the two countries’ relations, the delayed transfer to Afghan control of a key detention centre.

The Pentagon said the two men “agreed to use the next week to conduct intensive work with a view to concluding an agreement,” spokesman George Little said in a statement. The transfer of the detention centre at Bagram air base is a persistent source of tension, with Karzai’s office warning in a statement on Wednesday that “any more delays could harm the bilateral relations.” US commanders want to ensure that dangerous prisoners will not be released back to the battlefield. AFP