WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — An extended Afghan delegation headed by President Ashraf Ghani will hold negotiations with US President Barack Obama at the White House on March 24, White House spokesperson Josh Earnest said on Friday.
“President Obama will host Afghan President Ghani, Chief Executive Officer Abdullah and key members of their unity government for meetings and working lunch at the White House on Tuesday, March 24,” Earnest told journalists at a White House press briefing.
It will be the first meeting between the two presidents at the White House after 2014 Afghanistan’s presidential election. The discussions will cover issues concerning security, economic development and US support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process, Earnest said.
“President Ghani’s visit highlights the importance of continuing bilateral cooperation and the American commitment to our US-Afghan strategic partnership to reinforce regional security and sustain the achievements of the last 13 years,” Earnest concluded.
Ashraf Ghani won 56 percent of the vote in Afghanistan's June 2014 presidential election, but his opponent Abdullah Abdullah labelled the election as fraudulent. The candidates agreed to an audit of the ballot, and after weeks of negotiations signed a power-sharing agreement that confirmed Ghani’s presidency.
