US Acting Defence Chief Chris Miller has paid an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, the Pentagon said in a press release on Tuesday.
According to the release, Miller met with the President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani at the presidential palace in Kabul. During the meeting, the officials discussed the ongoing military aid to the Afghanistan National Defence and Security forces.
The Acting Pentagon Chief also held a meeting with Commander Resolute Support Mission (RS) and US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), Scott Miller, during which they discussed the security situation in the nation, the level of Taliban violence and the US troops withdrawal.
In late February, the US and the Taliban signed a peace deal in Doha, Qatar, which included a provision on the pullout of the US and NATO troops from the country and on intra-Afghan talks between the government and the movement.
The peace negotiations began in September after the end of a prisoner exchange. Both sides have recently announced that they agreed on the framework of the talks, paving way for discussions on substantive issues to begin. At the same time, violent clashes between the Afghan forces and the radical movement, as well as bomb blasts, continue to ravage Afghanistan.