Biden Vows ‘Sustained’ Partnership as He Meets Afghan Leaders

President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, on Friday met with US President Joe Biden at the White House, a key meeting that happens amidst fragile security situation in the country as the international troops are leaving. 

In this meeting, Biden promised the Afghan leaders a “sustained” partnership even as he moves to accelerate winding down the US’s longest war in Afghanistan.

President Ghani and Chairman Abdullah also met at the Pentagon with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin before their meeting with.

While Biden vowed that the US was committed to assisting Afghanistan, he also insisted that it was time for the American military to step back, according to The Associated Press report.

“Afghans are going to have to decide their future,” Biden said in brief remarks at the start of his meeting with the Afghan leaders. He did not elaborate more about a ’’sustained” partnership with Afghanistan.

Ahead of his meeting with Biden, President Ghani met with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“As we enter a new phase of that relationship, we look forward to hearing from you how we can do so with humanitarian assistance,” Pelosi said in a press briefing with Ghani.

“We look forward to having a conversation about how we strengthen our relationship through humanitarian assistance,” Pelosi said. “Our friendship is one that is deep and personal and one that we value. Again, this visit that you are making to the Capitol is an important one for both our countries, certainly for us.”

Ghani said that the decision of President Biden has been a strategic decision and that “we respect it.”

“It is dealing with a new chapter of our friendship; our strategic relationship and our people to people relationship and government to government relationship that we have focused on,” Ghani said.
Addressing a news conference after the Oval Office meeting, Ghani said that the talks with Biden were productive.

He pointed to an increase in Afghans signing up for the military as a sign of hope. But he also acknowledged the difficulty that lies ahead. He said that the decision by President Biden is not the abandonment of Afghanistan, but it is a new chapter in Kabul-Washington ties.

“There have been reverses, we acknowledge it — but the key now is stabilization,” he added.

Exit mobile version