WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama and his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani discussed in a video conference on Thursday national security issues concerning Afghanistan, the White House said in a statement.
“The leaders discussed the ongoing efforts of the Afghan National Security Forces to improve security in Afghanistan and the importance of countering extremist threats from groups like al-Qaeda,” the statement, issued on Thursday, stated.
He also stated his expectation that a visit by the Afghan leadership to Washington in March will strengthened the partnership between the two countries.
Obama will host an extended Afghan delegation headed by Ghani at the White House on March 24. It will be the first meeting between the two presidents at the White House after the 2014 presidential election in Afghanistan. The discussions will cover issues concerning security, economic development and US support for the Afghan-led reconciliation process, according to the White House.