President Ghani spoke with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin this evening and discussed bilateral relations and recent developments in the peace process, the Presidential Palace said.
The US defense secretary said the Biden administration supports enduring peace, which is in favor of Afghans and results in a permanent ceasefire, according to the Palace statement.
The Palace said that President Ghani and the US defense secretary expressed their concerns over the increase in violence and targeted killings, the Palace said.
“We discussed our mutual commitment to a strong US-Afghan partnership and the importance of making urgent progress on the Afghan peace process. Looking forward to a productive partnership,” Austin said in a tweet.
Austin said he spoke with President Ghani “to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to an enduring US-Afghan partnership, emphasizing the strength of the defense relationship.”
They also discussed the shared sacrifices of US and Afghanistan forces and collective gains made over the last 19 years, the Defense Department said in a statement.
According to the statement, the Afghan peace process and the imperative for a negotiated settlement to end the war were also discussed by the two sides.
“Both sides emphasized the importance of seizing this opportunity for peace,” the statement said.
This is the second official of the Biden administration who speaks with President Ghani.
On January 28, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with President Ghani regarding the US commitment to an enduring US-Afghan partnership, according to the State Department.
