* Merkel meets Karzai, Petraeus to discuss war progress
* Merkel says hopes to start German troop withdrawal in 2011
By Tilman Blasshofer
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Dec 18 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan on Saturday to boost German troops' morale for a war that is deeply unpopular at home and to meet with the Afghan president.
Merkel met with both President Hamid Karzai and General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, to discuss progress in the war effort and the training of Afghan security.
NATO leaders agreed at a summit in Lisbon last month to begin transferring security responsibility in some areas to Afghans from mid-2011, and hand over control of the whole country by the end of 2014, allowing foreign troops to leave.
"I am leaving with the impression that, while there is still an endless amount to do, progress is also becoming evident in our very close involvement in the training ... of Afghan forces," Merkel said after the meeting.
Karzai, often accused of failing to improve governance, said the talks with Merkel had been "good and constructive", noting they did not talk about corruption.
Germany is the third-largest troop contributor to NATO operations in Afghanistan, with nearly 4,700 forces based in the north, and Merkel's government will early next year seek a renewed parliamentary mandate for the mission. (Additional reporting by Oliver Keck, Writing by Sarah Marsh; Editing by Jon Hemming)
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