Karzai says Afghan-US ties strong despite friction

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghan-U.S. relations are fundamentally solid despite friction over aid policies, corruption and civilian deaths in American bombing raids, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Tuesday.

"The fundamentals of this relationship are very, very strong," he said in remarks in Washington a day before a trilateral summit with U.S. President Barack Obama and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.

The Obama administration and Karzai have exchanged sharp criticism over weak governance and corruption in Afghanistan, as well as civilian deaths in U.S. attacks on Taliban, which erode popular support for Kabul's alliance with Washington.

Karzai said in remarks at the Bookings Institution think tank that U.S. plans to send civilians to Afghanistan to assist in development and building democratic institutions is the key part of the Obama administration's Afghan-Pakistan war strategy.

"The most important element of the strategy is the announcement of the civilian surge for Afghanistan" he said.

Karzai, who is seeking re-election in an August poll, said whether that vote is free and fair is more important than whether "I am elected or defeated."

"The future of Afghanistan really lies in a free election and a fair election," he said.

(Reporting by Paul Eckert, Editing by Mohammad Zargham)